Primary Prophylaxis of Gastric Varix Bleed

A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Cyanoacrylate Injection Versus Beta-Blockers Versus No Treatment for Primary Prophylaxis of Gastric Variceal Bleed

In patients who have never bled from gastric varix (GOV2 and IGV1), cyanoacrylate injection will be better than both beta-blocker therapy and no treatment in prevention of gastric variceal bleed. The investigators conducted a randomized controlled trial in patients with gastric varix (GOV2 and IGV1) who never bled before, to study the efficacy of treatment with cyanoacrylate injection versus beta-blocker versus no treatment in prevention of first bleed from gastric varices.

Patients are followed up every 3 months or at the time of end point or complications.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients with GOV2 with eradicated esophageal varix or IGV1, who had never bled from gastric varix were included.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Only esophageal varix, GOV1 with GOV2, acute bleed or past history of bleed from gastric varix, contraindications to beta-blocker therapy and cyanoacrylate injection.
• Prior injection of cyanoacrylate or sclerotherapy or variceal ligation or transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt or balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration or balloon-occluded endoscopic injection sclerotherapy of gastric varix for prevention of bleeding from GV
• Patients already on beta-blocker or nitrates
• Undetermined origin of bleeding from esophageal varix or gastric varix
• Hepatic encephalopathy grade III/IV
• Hepatorenal syndrome
• Hepatocellular carcinoma
• Presence of deep jaundice (serum bilirubin > 10 mg/dl)
• Uremia
• Cerebrovascular accident
• Cardiorespiratory failure
• Pregnancy and patients not giving informed consent for endoscopic procedures