A controlled study of therapeutic portacaval shunt in alcoholic cirrhosis.

A controlled study of therapeutic end-to-side portacaval shunt was carried out from 1968 to 1971 in 89 patients with alcoholic cirrhosis. Recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding was less common and chronic hepatic encephalopathy was more common in patients with shunts than in patients without shunts. The survival-rate was lower, but not significantly, in patients with shunts.