Unprecedented Medical Achievement at Hôpital Français du Levant: First Inverted TIPS Procedure to Treat Complete Hepatic and Portal Vein Obstruction

In a groundbreaking and unprecedented medical achievement in Lebanon and the region, a multidisciplinary team of surgeons and interventional radiologists at Hôpital Français du Levant successfully performed a rare and complex procedure known as TIPS (Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt) to treat a patient suffering from Budd-Chiari Syndrome, a condition involving complete obstruction of the hepatic veins, the inferior vena cava below the heart, and the portal vein – rendering the conventional approach impossible.

A Collaborative Effort Between IRCAD Liban and IRCAD France

This achievement would not have been possible without the close collaboration between IRCAD Liban, based at Hôpital Français du Levant, and IRCAD France. This partnership enabled the exchange of medical expertise and specialists, creating a vital bridge of knowledge and innovation between Lebanon and France in the fields of advanced surgery and interventional radiology.

A Creative Medical Solution: Inverted TIPS to Overcome Total Obstruction

Due to the complete blockage of the traditional vascular access route, the team performed an Inverted TIPS, a technique rarely attempted. The stent was inserted percutaneously, through the liver, into a branch of the portal vein, then tunneled once more through the liver to reach the inferior vena cava below the site of the obstruction. This newly created pathway restored blood flow from the liver into the systemic circulation, reducing portal hypertension, eliminating gastrointestinal bleeding, and resolving ascites (fluid accumulation in the abdomen).

Professor Antoine Maalouf’s Statement

Commenting on this major success, Professor Antoine Maalouf expressed his pride, stating:

“We are immensely proud of this groundbreaking medical achievement, which places Lebanon back on the map of advanced medical nations. Through the joint efforts of Hôpital Français du Levant, IRCAD Liban, and IRCAD France, we have demonstrated that such high-level procedures are not only possible here but can also be performed with excellence. This is more than a medical success: it’s a message of hope and confidence in the capabilities of Lebanon and its physicians.”

Paving the Way for Advanced Liver Care in Lebanon

This milestone marks a major step forward in an ambitious project to establish liver transplantation services in Lebanon, led by Professor Francis Navarro, Dr. Antoine Maalouf, and Dr. Ziad Nghaioui. The initiative emphasizes the importance of close collaboration between surgical teams and interventional radiologists in providing cutting-edge care for patients with complex liver diseases, thereby strengthening Lebanon’s position as a leading medical hub in the Middle East.