Variceal band ligation and its outcome: A single tertiary care centre study.

Abstract

Objectives: To determine the frequency of complications after esophageal variceal band ligation in patients of decompensated chronic liver disease. Study Design: Descriptive Case study Setting: Department of Gastroenterology Lahore General Hospital, Lahore. Period: June 2015 to June 2016. Material & Methods: In the present study, the cases of both genders and age more than 20 years having esophageal variceal of any grade on variceal screening esophagogastroduodenoscopy and duration of decompensated liver cirrhosis of at least 6 months or more were included. Esophageal variceal band ligation was performed using a multiband ligation device (Six-shooter, Wilson-Cook Inc., Winston-Salem, NC) and up to 6 bands were placed per session and next session was performed at 2 week intervals until esophageal varices were eradicated, which was defined as a complete disappearance of varices and/or the presence of a varix being too small to be ligated. All patients were followed every month regarding complications in terms of ulcer bleed and esophageal strictures. Results: In this study there were total 720 cases out of which 450 (62.5%) were males and 270 (37.5%) females. The mean age of the subjects was 33.504±4.00 years, mean duration of cirrhosis was 9.086±2.54 months and mean weight was 72.44±13.78Kg. Ulcer bleed was seen in 6.9% patients and esophageal strictures was seen in 2.5% patients. Conclusion: Complications of esophageal variceal band ligation are not that common and amongst them ulcer bleed is the salient one. Both ulcer bleed and esophageal stricture are significantly associated with varices more than 2.