This study aimed to assess the long-term effects of endoscopic variceal ligation (EVL) and propranolol in preventing variceal rebleeding in patients with liver cirrhosis and esophageal varices. A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients with hepatitis B-related liver cirrhosis and class A Child-Pugh scores who received either EVL (n = 51) or propranolol (n = 53) for variceal rebleeding prevention. Baseline characteristics, hemodynamic parameters, variceal rebleeding frequency, complications, quality-of-life scores, and mortality rates were compared between the 2 treatment groups using appropriate statistical methods. The EVL group demonstrated significantly lower 1-year (0.17 vs 0.21, P = .001), 2-year (0.31 vs 0.37, P < .001), and 3-year (0.48 vs 0.62, P < .001) variceal rebleeding frequency compared with the propranolol group. Hemodynamically, EVL was associated with lower portal pressure, higher heart rate, lower blood pressure, and higher cardiac output. Analysis of complications revealed a lower incidence of ascites, hepatic encephalopathy, portal vein thrombosis, drug-related side effects, and infections in the EVL group. Quality-of-life assessment showed higher scores for emotional well-being and physical functioning in the EVL group. The study findings suggest that EVL may offer superior long-term efficacy and safety in preventing variceal rebleeding compared with propranolol in patients with liver cirrhosis and esophageal varices. These results have important implications for treatment decisions and the overall management of patients with liver cirrhosis, with the potential to improve long-term outcomes and reduce the burden of complications associated with this condition.
Han et al. (2026) studied this question.