Skip to main navigation menu Skip to main content Skip to site footer

Abstracts & Posters

Vol. 1 No. S1 (2025): Special Issue: 2025 Geisel Research Poster Night

From Shunt to Shear: Understanding Post-TIPS Hemolytic Anemia and Revision Strategies

Submitted
19 December 2025
Published
27-12-2025

Abstract

Hemolytic anemia is a rare but clinically significant complication following transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) placement, historically occurring more frequently with bare-metal stents due to increased intraluminal turbulence and shear stress. With the advent of PTFE-covered stents, this complication has become less common, but optimal management strategies remain poorly defined. This proposed descriptive study aims to characterize cases of suspected post-TIPS hemolytic anemia at Dartmouth Health from 2011–2025, focusing on clinical presentation, laboratory abnormalities, and revision strategies. Key variables include type of revision intervention—such as diameter reduction, angioplasty, conversion to covered stents, accessory shunt embolization, or complete shunt replacement—as well as trends in hemolysis markers, including bilirubin fractions, LDH, haptoglobin, and reticulocyte count. Given the rarity of this condition, a small case series is anticipated; however, documenting revision outcomes may provide meaningful insight into which strategies are most effective for reversing hemolysis while maintaining shunt patency. This study will also clarify situations in which anemia is attributable to alternative etiologies, supporting more accurate diagnosis and management.

References

  1. References are available on the poster PDF.