A new selective shunt operation, namely left gastric vena caval shunt, has been applied to 100 patients with esophageal varices, including 77 with cirrhosis of the liver and 19 with so-called idiopathic portal hypertension. Early death occurred in 3.0 percent and postoperative rebleeding from esophageal varices in 10.4 percent. The 5 year survival rate was 78.0 percent and the rehabilitation status of the surviving patients has been satisfactory, without any signs of hepatoencephalopathy. The shunt was proved to be patent in about 90 percent of the patients.