compensated or decompensated

[peacelily59]

can anyone tell me the difference between compensated and decompensated liver damage

[freddie76]

Yes if you have been diagnosed with liver problems but your body and liver is still coping you are compensated.

Once you start to get problems, i.e Varices, Ascites enlarged spleen, alterations in your LFT's then you are decompensated.

That is it roughly. What exactly is your reason for clarification, can anybody here help you?

[peacelily59 in reply to freddie76]

hi thanks for your reply iwas really just wanting to know how bad I am I think I must be decompensated then as I had a bleed about four yrs ago and had to get banding I have been perfectly ok since then the doctor doesent tell me much except to stop drinking I still have the odd couple of pints now and then

[AyrshireK in reply to peacelily59]

If you are symptom free and haven't had issues with varices for 4 years then your liver would appear to be stable and currently compensated .... it can flip between the two but when it is seriously decompensated it really does give off nasty symptoms ................. if you've currently no jaundice, no ascites, no signs of hepatic encephalopathy or varices then it would suggest you are compensated.

Katie

[dooley1 in reply to AyrshireK]

Hi I think Katie meant if you've currently got no symptoms of jaundice, ascites or hepatic encephalopathy or varices it would suggest you are compensated.Katie always gives really good advice.

Helen

[AyrshireK in reply to dooley1]

Good spot Helen. Sorted it out now, I thought why are you just repeating what i'd written? then found the b**b in my answer .............. totally meant compensated not the other.

Katie

[peacelily59 in reply to AyrshireK]

thank you very much you have told me more than my doctor has ever told me I feel a bit better now

[AyrshireK]

What are the different stages of cirrhosis?

Cirrhosis is sometimes called end stage liver disease. This simply means it comes after the other stages of liver damage which can include inflammation (hepatitis), fatty deposits (steatosis) and increased stiffness and mild-scarring of your liver (fibrosis).

Many people with cirrhosis can feel quite well and live for many years without needing a liver transplant. This is because the liver can function relatively well even when it is quite severely damaged.

Cirrhosis is classified as compensated or decompensated. Compensated cirrhosis is where the liver is coping with the damage and maintaining its important functions. In decompensated cirrhosis, the liver is not able to perform all its functions adequately. People with decompensated liver disease or cirrhosis often have serious symptoms and complications such as portal hypertension, bleeding varices, ascites and encephalopathy.

There are also systems for grading cirrhosis according to its severity. One of these is the Childs Pugh Score, which uses symptoms including encephalopathy and ascites together with blood test results for bilirubin, albumin and clotting, to grade cirrhosis from A (relatively mild) to C (severe). There are other systems including MELD (model of end-stage liver disease) which are used to help decide which patients most urgently need liver transplants. It uses blood test results for bilirubin, creatinine and clotting (INR).

The above is copied from British Liver Trust page on cirrhosis :- britishlivertrust.org.uk/li...

Katie

[Hidden]

Thanks Katie for the above information from our website

Peacelily59, you may want to get in touch with your liver specialist and ask for more clarification about the specific stage of your condition and how it will be managed?

Warm wishes,

Rebecca