Surgery has no role in primary prophylaxis. Its role in acute variceal bleeding is exceedingly limited, because therapy with endoscopic treatment controls bleeding in 90% of patients. A transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) is a viable option and is less invasive for patients whose bleeding is not controlled. However, if TIPS is not available, then staple transection of the esophagus is an option when endoscopic treatment and pharmacologic therapy have failed.
Consider surgery for the prevention of rebleeding when pharmacologic and/or endoscopic therapy have failed. As per the Baveno II consensus conference on portal hypertension, failure is defined as a single episode of clinically significant rebleeding (transfusion requirement of 2 U of blood or more within 24 h, a systolic blood pressure < 100 mm Hg or a postural change of >20 mm Hg, and/or a pulse rate greater than 100 bpm).[52]
Surgical interventions include the following: