[Autologous pericardial patch angioplasty of Budd-Chiari syndrome].

21 patients with inferior vena cava (IVC) or hepatic vein (HV) stenosis were treated by autologous pericardial patch angioplasty. Postoperative recovery was uneventful and the patients were followed up for 4 to 51 months. Signs of ascites, edema or varices in the lower extremities, and hepatomegaly disappeared in 1 to 3 months after operation in all patients. Ascending varicosities of the truncal vein and esophageal varices disappeared in 5 and 16 of '8 patients in 1 to 3 months respectively. Hepatic dysfunction in 6 patients returned to normal after operation. B-mode ultrasonography showed good patency of the reconstructed IVC or HV in the 18 patients.