Mesojugular shunt for Budd-Chiari syndrome: a case report with long-term follow-up.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: We report a case of a mesojugular shunt for Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS) with long-term follow-up. METHODS: A 32-year-old woman presented with late stage BCS. She was treated with a mesojugular shunt to relieve her portal hypertension. In a 17-year follow-up, she had a pregnancy, a postpartum period, and was diagnosed with systemic lupus eythematosus. She has resumed work as an operating room nurse and is having a normal life. Her graft remains patent. CONCLUSION: A mesojugular shunt has less surgical trauma and satisfactory long-term patency than other shunts. It can be used to treat severe patients with BCS who are not candidates for intervention.