Inflating a balloon while tying off a vein stops the drug from washing out.

Swollen veins in the food pipe, called esophageal varices, can cause dangerous bleeding. Doctors often treat them by injecting a medicine that clots the veins, followed by tying them off with small bands. However, letting blood flow back in before tying the band can wash the medicine away and trigger bleeding. To fix this, doctors tested a new timing method. While a tiny balloon stayed blown up inside to press on the vein and trap the clotted medicine, they tied the band over the puncture hole first. They tested this in a 59-year-old man. The procedure succeeded without immediate complications. Seven days later, the veins showed signs of clotting, and scans after two months showed they had completely disappeared.

Why it matters

For patients with liver disease, swollen veins in the esophagus can burst and cause dangerous bleeding. The standard treatment injects a clotting solution, but blood flow can wash it away before it works. This small tweak—keeping the vein compressed during injection—may make the treatment more reliable and safer.

Questions answered