The Predictive Role of Variceal Band Ligation in the Development of Portal Vein Thrombosis in Cirrhotic Patients

Abstract

Abstract Introduction. It is well known that portal vein thrombosis (PVT) can accelerate liver decompensation, reducing overall survival(1). In the literature, the topic whether PVT is a risk factor for variceal bleeding or it influences the effectiveness of variceal band ligation (VBL) remains of great interest The aim of this study was to assess if VBL is a potential risk factor for PVT development. An observational and retrospective study was conducted in a single tertiary center from 2010 to 2021 and included data from 285 patients with liver cirrhosis. Results. Of the 285 patients, gender distribution described 47.32% female (n =135) and 52.8% male (n =150) with a mean age of 55 years (range =23-79). The average MELD score was 12.5 (range 7-27). Of the total number of patients, 48.8% (n=139) had previous VBL: 20% (n=57) underwent primary prophylactic VBL and 34.7% (n=99) underwent secondary prophylaxis. Thus, 285 VBL procedures had been performed and the average number of VBL session was 2 (range 1-10) The mean time follow up was 92.55 months (range 22-230. During the follow up period PVT was diagnosed in 41.4% of patients (n =118) of which 67.77% (n =80) had at least one previous session of VBL: 33% of patients (n =39) had performed primary prophylaxis and 34.74% (n =41) secondary. A logistic regression was conducted to assess if VBL (primary and/or secondary prophylaxis) are risk factors for PVT development. The model was significant for primary prophylaxis (p =0.002, OR 3.28, CI 1.53-7.02) resulting that the risk of PVT is increasing around 3 times after primary prophylactic VBL. Conclusion. Our study showed a certain predisposition for cirrhotic patients to develop PVT after VBL performed as primary prophylaxis thus raising the question: does VBL impact the occurrence of PVT in cirrhotic patients? Furthermore, to our knowledge, this is the first study in the literature that focuses on this topic. More studies should be performed to evaluate and describe the relationship between VBL and the risk of PVT.