Effect of Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt Creation on Pulmonary Gas Exchange in Patients with Hepatopulmonary Syndrome: A Prospective Study.

PURPOSE: To evaluate effect of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) creation on pulmonary gas exchange in patients with hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: All patients with cirrhosis or Budd-Chiari syndrome undergoing elective TIPS creation at a single institution between June 2014 and June 2015 were eligible for inclusion. Twenty-three patients with HPS (age 55.0 y ± 14.4; 11 men; Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score 10.2 ± 2.7) who achieved technical success were included in the analysis. Diagnosis of HPS was established by contrast-enhanced echocardiography demonstrating intrapulmonary vascular dilatation and arterial blood gas analysis demonstrating arterial oxygenation defects.

RESULTS: Mean portosystemic gradient was reduced from 21.7 mm Hg ± 8.3 before TIPS creation to 10.8 mm Hg ± 5.1 after TIPS creation. Among the 5 (21.7%) patients who experienced dyspnea, 4 (80.0%) reported improvement after TIPS creation. This improvement was not maintained at 3 months after TIPS creation in 2 (50.0%) patients. Compared with before TIPS creation, mean change in alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient for patients with HPS was statistically significant at 1 month (-9.2 mm Hg ± 8.0; P < .001) after TIPS creation, but not at 2-3 days (-0.9 mm Hg ± 10.5; P = .678) or 3 months (-3.4 mm Hg ± 11.8; P = .179) after TIPS creation.

CONCLUSIONS: TIPS creation can transiently improve pulmonary gas exchange in patients with HPS.