Portal hypertension

Patent Pending n medicine, portal hypertension is hypertension (high blood pressure) in the portal vein system, which is composed of the portal vein, and its branches and tributaries. Portal hypertension is defined as elevation of hepatic venous pressure gradient to >5mmHg. Generally, in clinical practice the pressure is not measured directly until the decision to place a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) has already been made.