Volumetric blood flow in transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt revision using 3-dimensional Doppler sonography.

Objectives: Three-dimensional (3D)/4-dimensional (4D) sonographic measurement of blood volume flow in transjugular intrahepatic porto systemic shunt revision with the intention of objective assessment of shunt patency.

Methods: A total of 17 patients were recruited (12 male and 5 female; mean age, 55 years; range, 30-69 years). An ultrasound system equipped with a 2.0-5.0-MHz probe was used to acquire multivolume 3D/4D color Doppler data sets to assess prerevision and postrevision shunt volume flow. Volume flow was computed offline based on the principle of surface integration of Doppler-measured velocity vectors in a lateral-elevational c-surface positioned at the color flow focal depth (range, 8.0-11.5 cm). Volume flow was compared to routine measurements of the prerevision and postrevision portosystemic pressure gradient. Prerevision volume flow was compared with the outcome to determine whether a flow threshold for revision could be defined.

Results: Linear regression of data from revised transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt cases showed an inverse correlation between the mean-normalized change in prerevision and postrevision shunt volume flow and the mean-normalized change in the prerevision and postrevision portosystemic pressure gradient (r(2) = 0.51; P = .020). Increased shunt blood flow corresponded to a decreased pressure gradient. Comparison of prerevision flows showed preliminary threshold development at 1534 mL/min, below which a shunt revision may be recommended (P = .21; area under the receiver operating characteristic curve = 0.78).

Conclusions: Shunt volume flow measurement with 3D/4D Doppler sonography provides a potential alternative to standard pulsed wave Doppler metrics as an indicator of shunt function and predictor of revision.