The primary therapy to prevent oesophageal varices is :

The treatment of patients with varices that have never bled is usually referred to as prophylactic therapy (eg, prophylactic sclerotherapy or prophylactic propranolol). By convention, procedures performed on patients who have bled previously are referred to as therapeutic (eg, therapeutic shunts). Prophylactic therapy is of value, since the moality rate of variceal bleeding is high (25%), the risk of bleeding in patients with varices is relatively high (30%), and varices can often be diagnosed before the initial episode of bleeding. Ref :Jarnagin W.R. (2010). Chapter 24. Liver & Poal Venous System. In G.M. Dohey (Ed), CURRENT Diagnosis & Treatment: Surgery, 13e.