 Under normal conditions, blood flows into the liver via the portal vein and exits through the hepatic vein, eventually reaching the inferior vena cava. A portacaval shunt connects the portal vein directly to the inferior vena cava, bypassing the liver entirely. |
A portacaval shunt, portocaval shunt, or portal-caval shunt is a surgical procedure where a connection (a shunt) is made between the portal vein, which supplies blood to the liver, and the inferior vena cava, the vein that drains blood from the lower two-thirds of the body. This procedure allows blood to bypass the liver and is typically used to manage portal hypertension. Portal hypertension is commonly seen with liver cirrhosis and/or other liver diseases such as Budd-Chiari syndrome, primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), Budd and portal vein thrombosis.[1] The purpose of the shunt is to divert blood flow away from the liver, reducing high pressure in the portal venous system and decreasing the risk of bleeding.[2]
A portacaval anastomosis is analogous in that it diverts circulation; as with shunts and anastomoses generally, the terms are often used to refer to either the naturally occurring forms or the surgically created forms.