The present prospective study was designed to evaluate the effects of
splenectomy and devascularization operation on the hemodynamics of
portal circulation and the reliability of color Doppler ultrasonography as a
non-invasive tool in the assessment of portal hemodynamics before and
after the operation.
Thirty patients (19 males and 11 females) with clinical diagnosis of
portal hypertension and endoscopic evidence of oesophageal and/or gastric
varices who underwent splenectomy and devascularization were included
in this study. The mean age of the whole group was 32.12+1.8
years (range. 17-52 years). Doppler scanning of the portal vein before
and after the operation revealed a significant reduction in the maximum
blood velocity postoperatively (mean 10.59+2.66 cm/ sec. versus
12.51+3.16 cm/sec preoperatively), and a significant reduction in the vol- •
ume blood flow postoperatively (mean 884.3+233.9 ml/ min. versus
1073.8+422.4 rnI/ min., preoperatively), and insignificant change in the
diameter. Also, the direction of blood flow was hepatopetal in all patients
after operation, while it was bidirectional in one patient and hepatopetal
in 29 patients before operation. The study revealed a significant positive
correlation between the size of the spleen and the decrease in the blood
velocity and volume blood flow of the portal vein after operation Also.
there was a positively significant correlation betweerkthe presence of a |
