Greetings from the Guest Editor
Edward Wolfgang Lee
Abstract
Body
Chronic liver diseases causing liver cancers and portal hypertension are endless and difficult clinical challenges for physicians including gastroenterologists, hepatologists, oncologists, surgeons, interventional and diagnostic radiologists and primary care physicians. Especially, the complexity and undetermined pathophysiology of portal hypertension add even more clinical enigma to our patient care.
Recent advancements in diagnostic imaging and minimally invasive interventional procedures have improved the way we treat our patients with chronic liver diseases. In this issue of Gastrointestinal Intervention focused on some of these advancements in interventional procedures, especially in transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) for treatment of chronic liver diseases and severe portal hypertension. We present several comprehensive reviews including basic anatomy of portal hypertension and its natural portosystemic shunts, an updated review on portal vein embolization, new advancements in TIPS including a newly developed covered TIPS endoprosthesis and intravascular ultrasound-guided (IVUS) TIPS and finally, recent changes and trends of TIPS procedure in China. We hope this issue of Gastrointestinal Intervention can provide new information that can stimulate more research and collaborations to answer some of the unknown knowledge in treatment of chronic liver diseases and portal hypertension.