ABSTRACT
The usual techniques of esophagogastric desvascularization associated with splenectomy are reviewed and a new one is presented. It is a variant of EGDS technique described by Espíndula (1978) with the following modifications: A) In order to get a possible reduction of the transudation at the dissected area, on reperitonize: 1) the lesser curvature of stomach, naked during proximal gastric vagotomy (PGV). Fig. 1a and 1b; 2) the area of peritoneum concerning splenic hilum and tail of pancreas; 3) the dissected area of distal esophagus, performing a fundoplication (Lind, 1965) that also serves to obtain a good anti-reflux procedure. The EGDS was complemented with endoscopic sclerosis of varices, three to six months after operation. On consider that endoscopic sclerosis substitutes the surgical suture of the varices and reduces the surgical time and morbidity. From 1987 to 1989, eight patients with esophageal varices and gastrointestinal bleeding secondary to mansonic schistosomiasis were operated upon. Based on Child classification, two of these patients (25%) were graded B, six (75%) were graded A. None of the patients had post-operative esophageal bleeding or reflux esophagitis. There were no mortality. Two patients had postoperative ascitis that disappeared with clinic measures. The patients were followed during a period of six months to two years.