Smaller-Diameter Covered Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt Stents Are Associated With Increased Survival.

Background & Aims: We studied the effects of diameter of covered, self-expandable, nitinol stents on survival times of patients with a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS).

Methods: We collected data from 185 patients (median age, 55 y; 30% female) who received a covered nitinol stent, from February 2006 through September 2010, using the online multicenter German TIPS registry. TIPS were given to 107 patients for refractory ascites and to 78 patients for variceal bleeding.