Does multiple injection sclerotherapy have a role in the long-term management of oesophageal varices?

Sixty-nine cirrhotic patients were treated by injection sclerotherapy for bleeding oesophageal varices, with an emergency hospital mortality, from all causes, of 29%. The treatment of 35 of these continued with elective, long-term injections alone: 9 have so far survived more than 3 years, the longest being 5 years 4 months. The risk factor for rebleeding per patient month was 0·03 and, with its minimal complications, long-term sclerotherapy can be recommended as an alternative to portasystemic shunts for all grades of liver disease.