A new alternative technique for the guidance of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt creation using DSA overlay reference.

Background: Portal vein puncture (PVP) is a critical step during transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) and correlates to several complications. Techniques guiding PVP are needed.

Purpose: To evaluate the safety, feasibility, and efficiency of digital subtraction angiography (DSA) overlay reference during TIPS creation and compare it with transhepatic portal vein (THPV) guiding.

Material And Methods: The clinical records of 185 patients at three medical centers who underwent TIPS placement were reviewed. Portal vein access was guided by THPV guiding in 120 cases and DSA overlay reference in 60 cases. The number of punctures, portal vein entry time, procedural adverse events, technical and hemodynamic success rate were analyzed to compare the safety, feasibility, and efficiency of the two methods.

Results: The median numbers of punctures in group 1 and group 2 were 2 (1-4) and 2 (1-5), respectively ( = 0.094). There was no statistical difference between two groups in needle passes. The median portal vein entry time of group 1 was 12 min (8-16 min) and 13 min (8-16 min) in group 2. No significant difference was found in the PVP time ( = 0.802). Arterioportal fistula formation occurred in 15 patients in group 1; two patients in group 2 had hepatic artery injury. The patients in group 2 had lower rates of procedural adverse events ( = 0.047). Median dose area product of G1 was lower than G2 statistically (<0.001). There was no significant difference in total fluoroscopy time ( = 0.856).

Conclusion: DSA overlay reference has lower procedural adverse events rates compared with THPV guiding TIPS. It seems to be a safe and effective method for guiding PVP.