RESUMO
Experience in the establishment of vascular portocaval anastomoses in 66 patients with cirrhosis of the liver and 52 patients with extrahepatic portal hypertension was studied. Selective portocaval anastomoses produced the best immediate and late-term results in cirrhosis of the liver, side-to-side or H-type splenorenal anastomoses were found to be optimal, they were marked by minimal trauma to the pancreas and adequate decompression of the gastroesophageal channel with maximal maintenance of the portohepatic blood flow. Maximal decompression of the portal system is expedient in extrahepatic portal hypertension; this is mostly accomplished by means of H-type mesentericocaval anastomosis with an autograft formed from the internal jugular vein. Introduction of selective anastomoses into practice and the use of an autovenous graft and precision techniques considerably widened the possibilities of vascular portocaval anastomosis in the treatment of gastroesophageal hemorrhages and made it possible to improve the results of these operations.