Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt
| Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt | |
|---|---|
Fluoroscopic image of TIPS in progress. A catheter has been passed into the hepatic vein and after needle puncture, a guidewire was passed into a portal vein branch. The tract was dilated with a balloon, and contrast injected. A self-expandable metallic stent has yet to be placed over the wire. | |
| Other names | Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic stent shunting |
| Specialty | Interventional radiology |
| ICD-9-CM | 39.1 |
| MeSH | D019168 |
Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS or TIPSS) is an artificial channel within the liver that establishes communication between the inflow portal vein and the outflow hepatic vein. It is used to treat portal hypertension (which is often due to liver cirrhosis) which frequently leads to intestinal bleeding, life-threatening esophageal bleeding (esophageal varices) and the buildup of fluid within the abdomen (ascites).
An interventional radiologist creates the shunt using an image-guided endovascular (via the blood vessels) approach, with the jugular vein as the usual entry site.