Purpose

To evaluate recovery of platelet count after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) creation and patient factors predicting platelet recovery after TIPS creation.

Materials and methods

Adults with cirrhosis who underwent TIPS creation at 9 U.S. hospitals from 2010 to 2015 were included in this retrospective analysis. Change in platelets from before TIPS to 4 months after TIPS creation was characterized. Logistic regression was used to assess factors associated with top quartile percentage platelet increase after TIPS. Subgroup analyses were performed among patients with a pre-TIPS platelet count of ≤50 ×10⁹/L.

Results

A total of 601 patients were included. The median absolute change in platelets was 1 × 10⁹/L (-26 × 10⁹/L to 25 × 10⁹/L). Patients with top quartile percent platelet increase experienced ≥32% platelet increase. In multivariable analysis, pre-TIPS platelet counts (odds ratio [OR], 0.97 per 10⁹/L; 95% CI, 0.97-0.98), age (OR, 1.24 per 5 years; 95% CI, 1.10-1.39), and pre-TIPS model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) scores (OR, 1.06 per point; 95% CI, 1.02-1.09) were associated with top quartile (≥32%) platelet increase. Ninety-four (16%) patients had a platelet count of ≤50 × 10⁹/L before TIPS. The median absolute platelet change was 14 × 10⁹/L (2 × 10⁹/L to 34 × 10⁹/L). Fifty-four percent of patients in this subgroup were in the top quartile for platelet increase. In multivariable logistic regression, age (OR, 1.50 per 5 years; 95% CI, 1.11-2.02) was the only factor associated with top quartile platelet increase in this subgroup.

Conclusions

TIPS creation did not result in significant platelet increase, except among patients with a platelet count of ≤50 × 10⁹/L before TIPS. Lower pre-TIPS platelet counts, older age, and higher pre-TIPS MELD scores were associated with top quartile (≥32%) platelet increase in the entire cohort, whereas only older age was associated with this outcome in the patient subset with a pre-TIPS platelet count of ≤50 × 10⁹/L.