BACKGROUND: Meso-Rex bypass (MRB) surgery is being increasingly used to treat chronic prehepatic portal hypertension secondary to extrahepatic portal vein thrombosis (EPVT) and cavernous transformation (EPVCT) in children. Rather than using the internal jugular vein (IJV, the traditional venous graft), we used an autogenous splenic vein segment graft for MRB.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: We examined 25 children with extrahepatic portal hypertension and a history of recurrent upper gastrointestinal (GI) variceal bleeding despite previous endoscopic sclerotherapy. All patients had melena, splenomegaly, hypersplenism, or some combination thereof. Left portal vein (LPV) patency was verified in 22 patients using intraoperative direct portography through the umbilical vein. Partial splenectomy was performed to enable the harvest of the splenic vein trunk, which was anastomosed between the superior mesenteric vein (SMV) and the left portal vein (LPV). All patients were followed for 12–48 months (mean=25.6 months) and no patients were lost to follow-up.

RESULTS: Preoperative Doppler ultrasound (US) imaging indicated that 18/25 patients had adequate intrahepatic portal veins for shunting, with no blood flow in the LPVs of 7 patients. LPV patency in 22/25 patients was verified using intraoperative direct portography, with successful MRB. Shunting was converted into a portosystemic shunt in the remaining 3/25 patients with thrombosed LPVs. A Doppler US evaluation of the vein conduit revealed excellent postoperative flow. The patients’ mean hemoglobin, platelet, and white blood cell counts increased significantly, and in all cases the endoscopic status obviously improved after shunting. Occlusion or narrowing occurred in 2/22 patients after discharge. At 12 months (for 1 patient) and 24 months (for 1 patient), the shunt was converted into a portosystemic shunt. The cumulative graft patency rate was 91% (20/22).

CONCLUSIONS: Partial splenectomy and splenic vein autografting in MRB surgery can successfully resolve prehepatic portal hypertension and hypersplenism in children.

Keywords: Angiography, Adolescent, Autografts - surgery, Child, Child, Preschool, Esophageal and Gastric Varices - surgery, Mesenteric Veins - surgery, Portal Vein - surgery, Portasystemic Shunt, Surgical, Regional Blood Flow, Splenectomy, Splenic Vein - transplantation, Ultrasonography, Doppler, Vascular Surgical Procedures - methods