Thoracic Ileopexy for Portal Hypertension

Introduction  Effective decompression of portal hypertension has been accomplished with a variety of managements. While there has not been a universal acclamation for a specific remedial procedure, surgery consistently offers the principal opportunity for correction of this condition. Although most of the presently employed remedial procedures for portal hypertension decompress effectively, they leave much to be desired from the standpoint of mortality and morbidity. It was our purpose to devise a vascular, decompressive shunt which had a minimal mortality and morbidity, and which could be applicable to virtually all surgical candidates.In 1877, Eck demonstrated that a dog could survive a sudden and complete occlusion of the hilar portal vein if this was preceded by a side-to-side anastomosis of a segment of the portal vessel and the inferior vena cava.¹ This discovery was suggested as a method of eliminating ascites secondary to cirrhosis of the liver, but no specific