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Peritoneovenous shunt for palliation of malignant ascites
Author(s) -
Qazi Raman,
Savlov Edwin D.
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(19820201)49:3<600::aid-cncr2820490333>3.0.co;2-t
Subject(s) - peritoneovenous shunt , medicine , ascites , shunt (medical) , ascitic fluid , surgery , palliative care , portal hypertension , derivation , cirrhosis , nursing , artery
Forty patients with malignant ascites refractory to conventional medical management had peritoneovenous shunt for palliation. The shunt provided effective palliation in 28 with decrease in weight, abdominal girth, number of paracenteses required and increase in urine output. These patients also had improvement in strength, appetite and ambulation. Complications such as hemodilution, volume overload, and sepsis do not contraindicate surgery. In 12 patients with high ascitic fluid protein content (4.5 g/liter) and a large number of malignant cells, loculated ascites and prior severe renal and cardiac disease, the shunt did not provide palliation. Peritoneovenous shunt appears to provide effective palliation in carefully selected patients with refractory malignant ascites.