In Reply to: Re: Case 0599_02 -- Budd-Chiari Syndrome Presenting with Right Hydrothorax: Treatment with TIPS posted by m victoria marx, on May 05, 1999 at 13:55:54:
Thanks for explaining the mechanism for hydrothorax.
The reasons not to use the Wallgraft are 1. the device is not approved for TIPS and is under investigation for peripheral arterial use (not doing too well) and 2. the material (PET) has not performed well in both animals and humans for any application. We have used Wallgrafts in 8 pigs forming TIPS and they have all occluded by 5 weeks (most by 3 weeks). Ziv Haskal and others have shown the advantages of PTFE in TIPS.