Bypass iliac-mesenteric-cava inpatients under two years of age. Case report and literature review

Introduction: In the treatment of portal hypertension in pediatric patients, some type of porto-systemic shunt is indicated, which is an unusual surgical procedure in patients under two years of age, due to the low incidence of this disease at this age and the increase in the number of complications. Objective: We present our experience and results with this procedure in patients under two years of age seen in the Hepatobiliopancreatic general surgery service at Instituto Nacional de PediatríaDiscussion: The causes of portal hypertension in children are varied. Among the extrahepatic causes, the most common is cavernomatous portal degeneration. Children with portal hypertension under two years have severe symptoms such as recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding or anemia; others have hypersplenism data. In many cases medical management is useless and a surgical procedure require such as a portosystemic shunt in order to decrease the size of varicose esophageal veins and prevent bleeding that threatens the patient’s life. Conclusion: The iliac-mesenteric-caval shunt in patients under two years is a feasible alternative that improves the clinical status of the patient, reducing the risk of bleeding. However long-term studies are needed to determine the outcome of these patients. Keywords: Iliac-mesenteric-caval shunt, portal hypertension