Big shunts for small patients with portal hypertension: a bit of history.

ABSTRACT

This is a brief resume of my personal experiences that led to the development of two portosystemic shunt procedures designed to be used in small patients with bleeding varices and portal hypertension. Both enable one to decompress the congested protal venous system in the preschool-aged group when about two thirds of such patients begin to suffer their first life threatening bleeding episodes.