Table 3.

Clinical characteristics of the patients

Characteristic		Group A	Group B	P value	Group C	Group D	P value
Unassisted	3 mo	75.4%	92.6%	0.001	88.0%	73.8%	0.012
	6 mo	57.9%	89.2%	0.000	86.0%	66.4%	0.000
Patency rate	12 mo	54.4%	75.0%	0.005	74.7%	60.4%	0.028
Median primary patency in mo		5.2	9.1	0.013	8.3	6.9	0.025
Mean primary patency		4.98	15.01	0.006	13.28	8.20	0.009
Recurrence	3 mo	15.8%	5.1%	0.014	6.0%	15.4	0.035
of bleeding in mo	6 mo	28.1%	13.2%	0.014	9.6%	20.1%	0.038
	12 mo	33.3%	18.4%	0.024	13.3%	26.8%	0.017
Median recurrent bleeding in mo		5.2	7.4	0.016	13.61	7.47	0.011
Mean recurrent bleeding in mo		4.21	6.93	0.023	8.7	6.3	0.018
Recurrence	3 mo	17.5%	6.6%	0.020	5.9%	16.4%	0.035
of ascites in mo	6 mo	22.8%	10.3%	0.019	10.5%	25.5%	0.022
	12 mo	35.1%	20.6%	0.034	19.3%	35.6%	0.009
Mean recurrent ascites in mo		6.11	11.45	0.011	14.26	7.19	0.005
Median recurrent ascites in mo		5.9	10.4	0.007	9.1	6.8	0.009
Stent dysfunction times		74	53	0.037	50	117	0.021
Hepatic encephalopathy cases		9	22		13	22	0.965