Disease: Transjugular IntrahepaticPortosystemic Shunt
(TIPS)

    What is TIPS (transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt)?

    Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt or (TIPS) is a shunt (tube) placed between the portal vein which carries blood from the intestines and intraabdominal organs to the liver and the hepatic vein which carries blood from the liver back to the vena cava and the heart.

    For what is TIPS used?

    It is used primarily (but not exclusively) in patients with cirrhosis in which the scar tissue within the liver causes partial blockage of flow of blood passing through the liver from the portal vein to the hepatic vein. The blockage increases the pressure in the portal vein, which is called portal hypertension. As a result of the increase in pressure, portal blood flows preferentially through the branches of the portal vein to veins coming from abdominal organs that normally drain into the portal vein. These organs connect with veins that do not empty into the portal vein and thus bypass the liver. Thus, much of the flow of blood bypasses the liver. If these veins going to the other organs enlarge, they are referred to as variceal veins or varices. Unfortunately, one of the places varices form is in the stomach and lower esophagus, and these varices have a tendency to bleed massively, frequently causing death from exsanguination. By providing an artificial path for blood traveling from the intestines, through, the liver, and back to the heart, the shunt placed during the TIPS procedure reduces the pressure in the portal vein, significantly decreasing the likelihood of varices forming.

    Source: http://www.rxlist.com

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