Abstract: Objective:To investigate the clinical efficacy of gastroscopic ‘sandwich’ injection and sequential laparoscopic splenectomy combined with pericardial devascularization in the treatment of gastric variceal bleeding.
Methods:The retrospective cohort study was conducted. The clinical data of 52 patients with cirrhotic portal hypertension combined with gastric variceal bleeding who were admitted to Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University between March 2011 and October 2019 were collected. There were 33 males and 19 females, aged (63±9)years, with a range of 41-83 years. Of the 52 patients, 31 undergoing gastroscopic ‘sandwich’ injection and sequential laparoscopic splenectomy combined with pericardial devascularization and 21 undergoing laparoscopic splenectomy combined with pericardial devascularization were allocated into sequential group and laparoscopic group,respectively. Observation indicators: (1) surgical situations; (2) complications; (3) changes in gastric varices after treatment; (4) follow-up. Follow-up was performed using telephone interview combined with outpatient examination to detect survival of patients up to December 2019. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as Mean±SD, and comparison between groups was analyzed by the t test. Measurement data with skewed distribution were represented as M (range),and comparison between groups was analyzed by the Mann-Whitney U test. Count data were expressed as absolute numbers, and comparison between groups was analyzed using the chi-square test or Fisher exact probability. Ordinal data was analyzed by nonparametric rank sum test.
Results:(1) Surgical situations: patients of sequential group and laparoscopic group underwent surgery successfully. The operation time and volume of intraoperative blood loss of the sequential group were (112±16)minutes and (57±11)mL, respectively, versus (103±14)minutes and (55±9)mL of the laparoscopic group, showing no significant difference in the above indicators between the two groups (t=0.963, 1.052, P>0.05). (2) Complications: 11 patients in the sequential group had postoperative complications including 1 case with perioperative bleeding, 2 cases with postoperative gastrointestinal rebleeding, 4 cases with ascites, 4 cases with portal vein thrombosis. There was no death in the sequential group. Sixteen patients in the laparoscopic group had postoperative complications including 2 cases with perioperative bleeding, 6 cases with postoperative gastrointestinal rebleeding, 4 cases with ascites, 4 cases with portal vein thrombosis. Three patients died in the laparoscopic group. There was no significant difference in the cases with perioperative bleeding or cases with ascites between the two groups (P>0.05) and no significant difference in the cases with portal vein thrombosis or death between the two groups (x²=0.082, 0.082, P>0.05). There was a significant difference in the cases with postoperative gastrointestinal rebleeding between the two groups (P<0.05). Cases with postoperative gastrointestinal rebleeding, cases with ascites, cases with portal vein thrombosis in the sequential group were cured after the treatment of gastroscopy, low salt diet combined with diuretic or low dose warfarin, respectively. Of the 6 patients with postoperative gastrointestinal rebleeding in the laparoscopic group, 3 were cured after the treatment of gastroscopy and 3 died due to failure to rescue in time. Cases with ascites and cases with portal vein thrombosis in the laparoscopic group were cured after the treatment of low salt diet plus diuretic or low dose warfarin, respectively. (3) Changes in gastric varices after treatment: at postoperative 6 months, 31 patients in the sequential group were diagnosed with negative gastric varices; 15 of 21 patients in the laparoscopic group were diagnosed with negative gastric varices, 3 cases were diagnosed with obvious gastric varices and 3 cases were diagnosed with severe gastric varices. There was a significant difference in the cases with gastric varices between the two groups (Z=-3.128, P<0.05). At postoperative 12 months, 29 patients in the sequential group and 13 patients in the laparoscopic group were diagnosed with negative gastric variceal. There were 2 patients in the sequential group diagnosed with obvious gastric varices, and 8 patients in the laparoscopic group diagnosed with gastric varices including 3 cases with obvious gastric varices and 5 cases with severe gastric varices. There was a significant difference in the cases with gastric varices between the two groups (Z=-2.933, P<0.05). Cases with obvious gastric varices in the sequential group were cured after the treatment of gastroscopy. Cases with obvious or severe gastric varices in the laparoscopic group were cured after the treatment of gastroscopy except 1 died due to massive gastrointestinal hemorrhage. (4) Follow-up: 52 patients were followed up for 1-8 years, with a median time of 4 years. All the 31 patients in the sequential group and 18 ptients in the laparoscopic group survived.
Conclusion:Gastroscopic ‘sandwich’ injection and sequential laparoscopic splenectomy combined with pericardial devascularization in the treatment of gastric variceal bleeding has low recurrence rate of varicosity and low incidence of rebleeding.