Incidence of hepatic encephalopathy after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) according to its severity and temporal grading classification

Objectives To evaluate hepatic encephalopathy (HE) incidence after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) and classify by gravity and frequency. Methods This is a retrospective study of 75 patients with no previous episodes of HE who underwent TIPS between 2008 and 2014 with clinical follow-up after 6 and 12 months. Patient risk factors evaluated include age, INR (international normalized ratio), creatinine, bilirubin, and MELD score (Model for End-of-stage Liver Disease). HE was reported using two classifications: (1) gravity divided in moderate (West-Haven grades I–II) and severe (III–IV); (2) frequency divided in episodic and recurrent/persistent. Results Overall HE incidence was 36% at 6 months, with 12 month incidence significantly decreased to 27% ( p = 0.02). 13/75 (17%) patients had one episode of moderate HE, while 3/75 (4%) patients had severe recurrent/persistent HE. Age was the only pre-TIPS risk predictor. Post-TIPS bilirubin and INR showed variations from basal values only in the presence of diagnosed HE. Bilirubin significantly increased ( p = 0.03) in correlation to HE severity, whereas INR changes correlated with temporal frequency ( p = 0.04). HE distribution classified for severity is similar at 6 and 12 months, whereas when classified for frequency shows significant differences ( p = 0.04). Conclusions A classification by gravity and frequency attests post-TIPS HE as a manageable risk. Monitoring of bilirubin and INR may help on clinical management risk stratification.