Prophylactic TIPS procedure anyone?

[Zengal79]

Hello! I’m in the US. 43 years old. I have been sober two years now and have went from decompensated to compensated status. MELD holding steady between 6-8. It was a long road back, but I am doing beautifully now.

I need to have hernia surgery as well as abdominal skin removal due to massive weight loss. My hep is happy to support me having this procedure but is recommending me get a TIPS drain placed ahead of time to reduce bleeding risk and reduce chance of me going back to decompensation which would make healing difficult.

Anyone else have a drain placed in order to have a major abdominal operation? My surgeon was willing to do it without drain until my hep suggested it. My labs are stellar.

I go for consult with Interventional Radiology next week regarding TIPS procedure. Thoughts?

Thanks

[VeeWat]

I don’t know but good luck!

[Zengal79 in reply to VeeWat]

Yeah, it’s a pretty “out there” situation. Thank you!

[KengaRoo]

Suggest researching online especially complications to assess feasibility vs risk. You might also need full blood coagulation assessment with a number of blood tests and a Doppler ultrasound before making this decision. Anything invasive is a risk