Clinical usefulness of portal venous stent in hepatobiliary pancreatic cancers.

Background: Treatment options for patients with portal vein (PV) stenosis or occlusion after surgery are limited. The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of PV stent placement in patients with portal vein occlusion or stenosis after radical operation for hepatobiliary pancreatic malignant tumour.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 59 patients who underwent portal venous stent placement at the Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea, for PV stenosis or occlusion between February 2008 and February 2012.

Results: Stents were placed in the portal venous system across stenotic (n = 47) and occlusive (n = 12) lesions after percutaneous transhepatic portography. Reasons for stent placement were tumour recurrence (n = 30), portal vein resection and anastomosis (n = 18) and post-operative inflammatory changes (n = 11). Pressure gradients (superior mesenteric vein, main PV) decreased immediately after stent placement, from 10.5 mm Hg ± 4.4 (standard deviation) to 2.5 mm Hg ± 2.6 (P < 0.0001). Liver function was improved post-stenting (P < 0.05). The median time between the original surgery and stent placement was 16 (1-137) days in the vascular-orientated group and 306 (13-3703) days in the tumour recurrence group (P < 0.0001). Transient fever developed in 11 patients, but resolved in 2-5 days. Stents were occluded in 15 of the 59 patients (25.4%).

Conclusion: PV stent placement is a safe choice, has an acceptable success rate and provides marked relief from portal hypertension due to portal vein occlusion or stenosis after hepatobiliary pancreatic surgery. Liver function data are also improved after portal venous stent placement.