complications
Last reviewed 01/2018
In a minority of patients treated with endoscopic sclerotherapy for varices, the following complications may occur:
- oesophageal ulceration:
- may occur in the majority of patients
- does not significantly increase the risk of rebleeding
- oesophageal strictures:
- occur in 3%
- relieved by endoscopic dilatation
- oesophageal perforation
- occurs in 1-6% after about a week
- chest pain or discomfort
- fever: most resolve quickly
- sepsis: rare enough for prophylactic antibiotics to be unwarranted
- cardiovascular complications, e.g. bleeding from untreated varices and cardiac arrhythmias