Portal hypertension is a term that evokes varied responses among physicians: an opportunity for some and fear in others. Why is this? First, portal hypertension is associated with a broad range of clinical presentations such as variceal bleeding, ascites, encephalopathy, and end-stage liver disease. Second, the pathophysiology is complex with subtle nuances that may be crucial to the management of specific patients. And third, the treatment requires a broad-based team of specialists to define optimal management strategies. In this review, we will highlight pivotal historical phases of the management of portal hypertension with an emphasis on some of the key characters who traveled this path. But before we trace this story, let it be said that for almost a century portal hypertension was the domain of surgeons who built their reputations and careers in this arena with work that contributed to a better understanding of the field and was the basis of what was to come. Yet, as predicted by Hal Conn (Fig. 1) in 1989, 1 surgical portacaval shunting would no longer be the answer to portal hypertension in the 21st century.
THe BeGinninGThe first documented publication in September 1877 of a portosystemic shunt was the animal study by the brilliant Abbreviations: HE, hepatic encephalopathy; PTFE, polytetrafluorethylene; TIPS, transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts.