Medical Dictionary
Main Entry:
Eck fistula Pronunciation:
'ek- Function:
noun : an artificial anastomosis between the portal vein and inferior vena cava by which blood from theintestinal region is diverted from the liver to flow directly to the heart
Eck, Nikolai Vladimirovich (1849–1908), Russian physiologist. Eck developed the surgicalprocedure that bears his name in 1877. The operation made possible the experimental study of diseases of the liver and the investigation of the role of the liver in metabolism. He was a pioneer in thesurgical treatment of neoplastic disease, and he wrote on nasal and laryngeal polyps. Eck was also interested in epidemiology, sanitation, and geology.
