Table 1. Characteristics of the study population, and baseline comparison with excluded cases.
| Baseline and follow-up characteristics | Included (n=174)* | Excluded (n=75)* | P value** |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 53.1±10.9 | 56.6±11.7 | 0.022 |
| Sex | 0.219 | ||
| Female | 70 (40.2%) | 24 (32.0%) | |
| Male | 104 (59.8%) | 51 (68.0%) | |
| Pre-TIPS comorbidities | |||
| Obesity | 36 (20.7%) | 9 (12.0%) | 0.102 |
| Hypertension | 46 (26.4%) | 13 (17.3%) | 0.121 |
| DM | 41 (23.6%) | 17 (22.7%) | 0.878 |
| Hypothyroidism | 9 (5.2%) | 5 (6.7%) | 0.765 |
| HCC | 17 (9.8%) | 5 (6.7%) | 0.429 |
| Liver disease etiologies | |||
| Alcohol | 86 (49.3%) | 33 (44.0%) | 0.432 |
| HCV | 79 (45.4%) | 41 (54.7%) | 0.180 |
| HBV | 4 (2.3%) | 3 (4.0%) | 0.433 |
| NASH | 16 (9.2%) | 8 (10.7%) | 0.718 |
| Budd Chiari | 8 (4.6%) | 0 | 0.110 |
| TIPS indications | |||
| Ascites | 60 (34.5%) | 23 (30.7%) | 0.558 |
| GI bleeding | 120 (69.0%) | 55 (73.3%) | 0.489 |
| Clinical success | 109 (62.6%) | 9 (12.0%) | <0.001 |
| Peripheral TIPS | 49 (28.2%) | 23 (30.7%) | 0.689 |
| DIPS | 7 (4.0%) | 8 (10.7%) | 0.077 |
| Spontaneous portosystemic shunt at baseline | 51 (29.3%) | 22 (29.3%) | 0.960 |
| Portal vein thrombosis before TIPS placement | 33 (19.0%) | 20 (26.7%) | 0.142 |
| Max stent diameter (mm) | 9.3±1.2 | 9.1±1.2 | 0.331 |
| Min stent diameter (mm) | 9.3±1.2 | 9.1±1.2 | 0.395 |
| Total stent length (cm) | 7.9±3.0 | 7.4±2.7 | 0.266 |
| Pre-TIPS PSG (mmHg) | 17.5±6.6 | 17.8±7.5 | 0.781 |
| Post-TIPS PSG (mmHg) | 6.9±3.3 | 7.2±3.4 | 0.477 |
| Pre-TIPS lab results | |||
| Sodium (mEq/L) | 135.9±11.9 | 134.8±6.2 | 0.352 |
| Creatinine (mg/dL) | 1.02±0.59 | 1.20±0.83 | 0.095 |
| AST (IU/L) | 76.9±74.1 | 104.7±227.3 | 0.311 |
| ALT (IU/L) | 48.3±39.0 | 48.5±50.3 | 0.970 |
| Alk. Phos. (IU/L) | 104.0±68.7 | 122.3±152.2 | 0.330 |
| Bilirubin (mg/dL) | 2.09±2.03 | 2.83±3.88 | 0.125 |
| Albumin (mg/dL) | 2.66±0.67 | 2.25±0.51 | <0.001 |
| Total protein (mg/dL) | 6.00±1.19 | 5.38±0.99 | <0.001 |
| INR | 1.50±0.48 | 1.56±0.43 | 0.397 |
| Platelet (×106/μL) | 118.9±107.5 | 120.5±96.4 | 0.910 |
| Pre-TIPS liver function | |||
| MELD score | 13.8±5.1 | 15.5±5.2 | 0.025 |
| MELD-Na score | 15.1±6.0 | 17.5±6.2 | 0.006 |
| ALBI score | −1.30±0.65 | −0.92±0.50 | <0.001 |
| Child-Pugh score | 8.5±1.9 | 8.9±1.7 | 0.225 |
| Primary TIPS patency rate | 157 (90.2%) | NA | NA |
| Secondary TIPS patency rate | 171 (98.3%) | NA | NA |
| Median survival in months (95% confidence intervals) | 33.1 (26.3–59.4) | 3.5 (1.5–6.7) | <0.001*** |
*, numbers are presented as mean ± SD, and categorical variables are shown as frequency (percentage); **, numbers are compared using independent samples t-test, and frequencies are compared using χ2 test; ***, survivals are compared using the log-rank test. TIPS, transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt; DIPS, direct intrahepatic portosystemic shunt; PSG, portosystemic gradient; DM, diabetes mellitus; HCC, hepatocellular carcinoma; HCV, hepatitis C virus; HBV, hepatitis B virus; NASH, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis; GI, gastrointestinal; AST, aspartate transaminase; ALT, alanine transaminase; Alk. Phos., alkaline phosphatase; ALBI, albumin-bilirubin; INR, international normalized ratio; MELD, model for end-stage liver disease; NA, not available; SD, standard deviation.