Portal Hypertension: Current Concepts

Khashayar Farsad, MD, PhD

Cirrhosis continues to be a major contributor to the public health burden. Portal hypertensive complications of cirrhosis require extensive interdisciplinary collaborative care, usually at major medical centers with state-of-the-art diagnostic and therapeutic modalities. In many ways, effective management of portal hypertension epitomizes the benefits of optimal interdisciplinary care. As such, I am very pleased and honored to have been invited to be a guest editor for this special issue in Digestive Disease Interventions, as it has provided a unique opportunity to bring together an international panel of experts in gastroenterology, hepatology, surgery, interventional radiology, nephrology, and cardiology, each providing their insights into the care of this complex condition.

The issue includes the latest updates in the technical aspects of diagnosis of portal hypertension as well as the latest therapeutic interventions aimed at alleviating its complications. Furthermore, the issue raises greater insight into the metabolic and physiologic perturbations of portal hypertension that are rapidly growing in appreciation, examining unique aspects of the complex interplay between the portal circulation and renal, metabolic, and cardiovascular physiology. As is true with most complex systems, we are left with more questions than answers, but hopefully this will spur ongoing development of innovative and collaborative research to forward our understanding.

Publication History

Article published online:
13 June 2022