Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt: A Literature Review

Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt, or TIPS, is a procedure used to decompress the portal system resulting from portal hypertension. The technique was inadvertently discovered during a transjugular cholangiography procedure around 1969. Technological advances in the 1980s and 1990s have resulted in more positive outcomes for the TIPS procedure since its inception. There are several indications for performing the procedure, including refractory ascites, variceal bleeding, and portal hypertension. Liver disease can lead to portal hypertension, and few treatments are available; however, with TIPS, many patients obtain favorable results. The goal of placing an intrahepatic portosystemic shunt is to bypass the vascular resistance in the cirrhotic liver by creating a channel between the portal and hepatic veins, thereby reducing portal venous pressure and portal hypertension. Normal and diseased liver function is explained as well as the TIPS procedure process, materials, complications, and long-term outcomes.