Percutaneous Transsplenic Balloon-Assisted Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt Placement in Patients with Portal Vein Obliteration for Portal Vein Recanalization: Feasibility, Safety and Effectiveness.

PURPOSE: To assess the feasibility, safety and effectiveness of portal vein recanalization (PVR)-transjugular portosystemic shunt (TIPS) placement via splenic access using a balloon puncture technique. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a single-center retrospective study from March 2017 to February 2021, 14 consecutive patients with portal hypertension, chronic liver disease and portal vein occlusion or near-complete (> 95%) occlusion were referred for PVR-TIPS placement. Feasibility, safety and effectiveness including procedural characteristics such as technical success, complication profile and splenic access time (SAT), balloon positioning time (BPT), conventional portal vein entry time (CPVET), overall procedure time (OPT), fluoroscopy time (FT), dose-area product (DAP) and air kerma (AK) were evaluated. RESULTS: Transsplenic PVR-TIPS using balloon puncture technique was technically feasible in 12 of 14 patients (8 men, 49 ± 13 years). In two patients without detectable intrahepatic portal vein branches, TIPS placement was not feasible and both patients were referred for further treatment with nonselective beta blockers and endoscopic variceal ligation. No complications grade > 3 of the Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiological Society of Europe classification system occurred. The SAT was 25 ± 21 min, CPVET was 33 ± 26 min, the OPT was 158 ± 54 min, the FT was 42 ± 22 min, the DAP was 167.84 ± 129.23 Gy*cm2 and the AK was 1150.70 ± 910.73 mGy. CONCLUSIONS: Transsplenic PVR-TIPS using a balloon puncture technique is feasible and appears to be safe in our series of patients with obliteration of the portal vein. It expands the interventional options in patients with chronic PVT.