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We read with interest the recent paper by Salerno et al (Gut 2007;56:1310–8) describing transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts (TIPS) as improving renal function and ascites in cirrhosis. We report a case of haemolytic anaemia following TIPS with a Viatorr (GORE, Flagstaff, AZ, USA) ePTFE-lined stent. Post-TIPS haemolytic anaemia was reported with the use of bare metal stents in the 1990s.1–3 In recent years stents lined with expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) have been used in TIPS and are thought to have a decreased rate of complications.4
A 63-year-old woman with autoimmune hepatitis that had progressed to cirrhosis was requiring weekly paracentesis due to refractory ascites. Because of her low Model for End Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score she was referred for a TIPS to …
Footnotes
Competing interests: None.
Patient consent: Informed consent was obtained for publication of the person’s details in this letter.