Introduction :
Bleeding from varices is a very serious complication
in cirrhotic patients,with a mean mortality rate around
30%1. If the portal vein pressure is decreased by
pharmacological therapy the varices will not bleed
and progressively decrease in size. The portal
hypertension in cirrhotic patients develops as a
consequence of two mechanisms: the increase of
portal inflow and the increase of intrahepatic
resistance. Variceal haemorrhage accounts for one
third of all deaths related to cirrhosis. Patients
surviving a variceal bleed are at high risk of
rebleeding over 60% at one year and mortality from
each rebleeding is about 20%1-3.