Cirrhosis and End-Stage Liver Disease

A common outcome of chronic liver disease is the development of cirrhosis, an irreversible and life-threatening condition in which normal liver tissue is replaced by nonfunctioning scar tissue. Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis are the twelfth leading cause of death in the United States.

Patients with cirrhosis require specialized care, including close monitoring and, at times, hospitalization to treat complications that may develop as a result of worsening liver function or portal hypertension (increased blood pressure in the vein that carries blood to the liver). For people with liver failure or uncontrollable complications from cirrhosis, the only life-saving treatment option is liver transplantation.

Lankenau Medical Center offers an experienced multidisciplinary team of specialists with expertise in addressing the complex medical needs of patients suffering from advanced liver disease. If liver transplantation is considered the next step in care, our physicians work closely with liver transplant centers to coordinate evaluation and management.

To schedule an appointment with a Lankenau gastroenterologist, call 866.CALL.MLH or use the online appointment request form.

Go to:

• Care of patients with cirrhosis
• Care of patients seeking liver transplantation

Care of Patients with Cirrhosis

Each patient with cirrhosis needs individualized care, the goals of which are to stop or slow further liver damage and prevent or manage complications. Our multidisciplinary approach includes:

• Patient education about avoiding alcohol and other substances that can injure the liver (eg, certain medications and supplements)
• Medical therapies to address treatable causes of cirrhosis and specific complications
• Laboratory and imaging tests to monitor for liver deterioration, complications, and liver cancer
• Endoscopic procedures to screen for and treat esophageal varices
• Specialized interventional radiology procedures:
• Percutaneous image-guided liver biopsy
• Hepatovenous pressure gradient measurement—a technique to assess for portal hypertension
• Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) placement—a procedure to treat portal hypertension
• Paracentesis—a procedure to drain ascites fluid from the abdomen
• Radiofrequency ablation, microwave thermal ablation, and chemoembolization—minimally invasive therapies for liver cancer that develops as a complication of cirrhosis

To schedule an appointment with a Lankenau gastroenterologist, call 866.CALL.MLH or use the online appointment request form.

Learn more about cirrhosis >

Care of Patients Seeking Liver Transplantation

Patients with end-stage liver disease may be candidates for liver transplantation. Lankenau Medical Center offers a full range of coordinated liver transplantation services, including evaluation to determine whether a patient is a candidate for a transplant, education and ongoing care while awaiting transplantation, preparation and transfer for surgery, and follow-up care after transplantation. Our physicians coordinate closely with local liver transplant centers to ensure continuity of care.

Liver transplantation evaluation is a comprehensive process involving a complete medical evaluation (history and physical examination; blood and urine tests; imaging studies; tests of heart, lung, and kidney function) as well as a psychosocial evaluation. The assessment is important to determine:

• The status and extent of liver disease
• The status and extent of any other diseases or conditions that may exist
• The likelihood that a patient will survive the transplant operation
• The ability of the patient to comply with the complex medical care required after liver transplantation
• The patient’s mental and emotional health and support system

To schedule an appointment with a Lankenau gastroenterologist, call 866.CALL.MLH or use the online appointment request form.

Learn more about liver transplantation >