Danis oesophageal stent in treatment of variceal bleeding

Abstract

Acute oesophagealvariceal bleeding is still a serious and life-threatening complication of symptomatic portal hypertension. Despite the current treatment with volume expansion, appropriate hemosubstitution, broad-spectrum antibiotics, vaso-active drugs and endoscopic treatment, it is still associated with high risk of failure and early relapse. Balloon tamponade or porto-systemic shunt creation are the potential salvage therapies. The use of a special coated self-expandable metal oesophageal stent as an alternative to balloon tamponade, or in cases of contraindications to portosystemic shunt creation, has been supported by more data in the last decade.