1995 Volume 56 Issue 3 Pages 650-653
This paper describes a successful attempt of surgical treatment for a case of intractable cirrhotic hydrothorax and ascites.
The case involved a 65-year-old man. From 1978 the patient had been receiving the treatment for cirrhosis and was pointed out having cirrhotic hydrothorax in Nobember 1991. In Nobember 1992 he was admitted to the hospital because of dyspnea of effort due to a lot of cirrhotic hydrothorax and ascites. The effusion was hard to control by medicine. The degee of dyspnea increased and those condition restrained him from his ordinary way of life. So the surgical procedure thoracico-venous shunt was tried.
The operation was performed with DENVER® peritoneo-venous shunt system. The catheter of the shunt is designed to run straight in order to prevent from obstructing. The operation was successful to decrease the level of effusion. And the patient could walk from on the 12th postoperative day and was discharged on the 27th postoperative day.
In the case of intractable cirrhotic hydrothorax and ascites, the thoracico-venous shunt procedure was effective. And the improvement of quality of life was achieved in the early day after the operation.
