SUCCESSFUL TREATMENT OF BLEEDING RECTAL VARICES WITH LAPAROTOMY AND INFERIOR MESENTERIC VEIN EMBOLIZATION

Abstract

We present the case of a 72-year-old woman who was attending our hospital for hepatitis C virus-related cirrhosis. She developed fresh bloody stools in April 2007 and proctoscopy revealed a rectal varix from the rectosigmoid to the anal verge. Variceal bleeding was diagnosed and radiologic intervention was performed. We performed a mini-laparotomy under general anesthesia, and embolized the superior rectal vein. There was no recurrence of bleeding until the patient ultimately died from hepatic insufficiency. In conclusion, we report on a case of rectal variceal bleeding successfully controlled using intravascular embolization.