Perioperative Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt Is Associated With Decreased Postoperative Complications in Decompensated Cirrhotics Undergoing Abdominal Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Operative risk in patients with cirrhosis is related to the severity of liver disease and nature of procedure. Pre and postoperative portal decompression via transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) are logical approaches to facilitate surgery and improve postoperative outcomes. We compared postoperative outcomes of decompensated cirrhotics undergoing abdominal surgery either with or without perioperative TIPS placement. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of 41 decompensated cirrhotic patients who had abdominal surgery from 2010-2019 at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Patients were stratified based on having received either perioperative TIPS or no TIPS. Demographics, laboratory data, perioperative TIPS status and postoperative complications were compared between the 2 groups using Fisher exact test and Student 2 sample t-test. RESULTS: Group 1 consisted of 28 patients who had TIPS procedure, with 21 being preoperative and 7 being postoperative. Group 2 had 13 patients who had abdominal surgery without TIPS. When compared to those with perioperative TIPS, patients without TIPS had a significantly increased incidence of postoperative ascites (33% vs 77%, P = .0026), infection (18% vs 54%, P = .028), and acute kidney injury (AKI) (14% vs 46%, P = .0485). Additionally, postoperative Model of End Stage Liver Disease Sodium score was significantly higher in patients without TIPS (22 ± 4.74) when compared to those who had TIPS (17.14 ± 5.48) (P = .009). DISCUSSION: Perioperative TIPS placement in decompensated cirrhotics was associated with decreased postoperative ascites, infection, and AKI when compared to those without TIPS. Further studies are needed to validate our findings.

Fibrosis improvement in patients with HCV treated with direct-acting antivirals.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: More prospective studies are needed to characterize fibrosis improvement in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) who are treated with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). The aims of this study were to assess changes in elastography scores from baseline to 1-year follow-up in patients with HCV, to identify factors that were independently associated with improvement in fibrosis staging in patients who receive treatment, and to identify factors that were independently associated with no improvement in fibrosis staging among patients who achieved sustained virologic responses (SVR). METHODS: Ultrasound elastography and laboratory tests were performed and collected at baseline and at 1-year follow-up for patients who received HCV treatment and for those who did not receive treatment (n = 240). Binomial logistic regression was used to examine factors that were independently associated with improvement in fibrosis staging. RESULTS: In patients who achieved SVR, the mean fibrosis score decreased significantly (-1.3) from 7.4 (2.3) before treatment to 6.1 (2.0) after treatment (P = 0.00). In multivariate analysis of patients who received treatment, higher pre-treatment fibrosis stages [odds ratio (OR) = 13.02, P < 0.00] were positively associated with improvement in fibrosis staging at 1-year follow-up. Higher BMI (OR = 0.93, P < 0.05) was negatively associated with improvement in fibrosis staging. DISCUSSION: This study supports the growing body of literature that suggests fibrosis regression is achievable in a significant number of patients who achieve SVR with all-oral DAA regimens. Equally important, fibrosis regression is more likely to occur in patients with advanced stages of fibrosis and less likely in patients who are obese.