TIPS Follow Up Questions

[Livmar]

Hi Wonderful community. You truly are wonderful and have helped me reach a dicision to have TIPS done. My follow up questions are the following:

1. Did you get ALL your varices embolized and cemented prior to TIPS?

2. Is your Portal Pressure after TIPS now below 12? I was told that is the goal.

3.How long have you lived with TIPS and what are they telling you if you do not need a transplant as to life expectancy with a TIPS?

4. Do you lead a normal life with TIPS - are you able to travel(which I love) or are you bound to home and a bathroom? I will not dare travel international due to risk of a bleed.

5. I was restricted to lifting heavy stuff due to portal pressure- are you OK doing that with TIPS?

6. Did your spleen reduce in Size after TIPS? I was told my platelets would not get better.

7. Did you stop taking Beta blockers after TIPS?

If any or all of the questions could be answered I will be most grateful 🙏. You have been so helpful❤️.

[Mango5cm]

Hi - I’m sorry I can’t answer your questions . My son is waiting for a TIPS as he has very severe ascities. He has had one varice bleed and one banded. The consultant told him the TIPS can stay in place forever and he should be able to go abroad on flights. He can’t travel anywhere now as he gets drained every week . He won’t need any other medication after TIPS and he’ll have 6 monthly monitoring appointments .

Hope you get the procedure soon and all goes well , best wishes Carol

[Livmar in reply to Mango5cm]

Hi Carol, my prayers are with you and your son on his TIPS procedure. You know, initially I was 100% against TIPS for me as I have never had ascites or HE nor anything else other than slight pain near my spleen.

Why would I risk getting HE. The thing is that varices are like tree roots, they just keep growing and growing and there is no stopping them.

It’s just a matter of time before I get ascites and HE regardless.

After TIPS, you will not get ascites and the HE at least it’s something you can control with medicine or adjustment to TIPS stent.

There are too many horror stories regarding varices. I will not be one of them.

Wishing better health to your son and less stress for you and your family in combating this dreadful disease. ❤️🙏