Endoprosthetics for bleeding esophageal varices

Refractory esophageal hemorrhage and early rebleeding following endoscopic therapy remain challenging conditions to treat and are associated with a high mortality. Techniques such as balloon tamponade (BT) and transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) are highly effective at controlling refractory bleeding, but they can be associated with a high rate of complications and, in the case of TIPS, may not be immediately available outside specialist centers. Recently, removable self-expanding metal stents (SEMSs) have been introduced in clinical practice for the management of esophageal variceal bleeding.
Source: Techniques in Gastrointestinal Endoscopy - Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Source Type: research