Patients who have previously bled from esophageal varices should have their hepatic function, neurologic status and nutritional status evaluated and should be examined for ascites before elective variceal decompression is done to prevent recurrent variceal hemorrhage. The two most important procedures used for this evaluation are liver biopsy and visceral angiography. If the liver biopsy reveals little or no necroinflammatory activity, shunt surgery is indicated. For patients with moderate or severe necroinflammatory activity, surgery is delayed until the inflammation subsides. The central aim of visceral angiography is to determine whether the patient has hepatopetal or hepatofugal portal venous flow. Patients with hepatopetal flow are treated with a selective distal splenorenal shunt. Those with hepatofugal flow are managed with a total shunt, such as an interposition H-graft portacaval or mesocaval shunt.