Just wondering if anyone has had a similar experience to my latest turn in my journey with cirrhosis. On my most recent 6 month surveillance scan it showed that there were enlarged hepatic veins. My consultant wrote to me and said this was “suggestive” of right sided hear failure and he booked me in for an echocardiogram and said he would like a face to face appointment in November. I had the Echo almost 4 weeks ago and haven’t heard anything. I haven’t come across this link with cirrhosis and the heart and was wondering if any of you knowledgeable folks can enlighten me. Many thanks 🙏
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Did they ever pin point the cause of your cirrhosis? Rather than cirrhosis causing the heart issue it could have been vice versa the heart issue causing the liver problem. There are links between heart failure and a specific type of cirrhosis labelled as Cardiac Cirrhosis.
"The primary risk factor for cardiac cirrhosis is right sided heart failure. This is because this type of heart failure increases pressure in the right atrium, the upper right chamber of your heart.
The right atrium receives blood from the rest of your body via a network of large and small veins. Increased right atrial pressure causes pressure to increase in the veins serving your liver and the vena cava. The vena cava is the large vein that takes in filtered blood from your liver and delivers it to the right atrium.
Several heart conditions, including left sided heart failure, can eventually cause right sided heart failure."
Hopefully you hear back from doctor soon (chase them up and don't let it lie waiting for them as this is pretty urgent) - you'll need referral to cardiac services too.
I’ve been screened for all types of hepatitis (all negative). NAFLD was also a consideration, even though my bmi is in the low 20s, (this would be pretty rare) suggested that I should loose 10% of my body weight. Which I have done. I managed to get my Gp to refer me to a dietitian and she advised me to eat lots of high protein small meals. There was even a suggestion that the antibiotics I was given whilst hospitalised with pneumonia in 2017 were the cause. All possibles, but nothing very likely.
I was diagnosed with cirrhosis almost 2 years ago and have had the 6 monthly US scans. My consultant explained this was mainly to look for any signs of cancer. None of the previous scans picked up the enlarged hepatic veins.? Were they not there? Difficult to see? Down to the operator? I don’t know.
When I had the last US it did take about a month for the consultant to respond and say I needed an Echo. Maybe another month after the echo, which is Monday. 🤞 I am hoping I will hear something.
I really appreciate your informative response., thank you 🙏
I did ask the consultant at one point if it would be beneficial to have a biopsy. I thought it would be an additional way of confirming the cirrhosis (auto immune issues I don’t think have been mentioned, not in context of a biopsy anyway). He said the blood results and fibroscan were enough, bearing in mind there is risk to biopsy. (I personally thought this was minimal). I vaguely remember he mentioned something about something where on the liver the biopsy is taken could affect result.
I have cirrhosis that was caused by right heart failure. I am a never drinker and all tests were run for autoimmune problems which were negative. They first thought about fatty liver as a cause but with a CT scan done at Duke (here in the states), it was evident that my right sided heart failure had caused my cirrhosis. Look up Congestive Hepatopathy. I have been a heart patient with my first open heart surgery at age 22. I am seventy two now. Only found the cirrhosis five years ago. They did a Tricuspid Valve replacement almost three years ago to help with the right heart failure. I have remained stable with my cirrhosis, thank God. Please follow up with your drs concerning your echo. They told me to take care of my heart and that will take care of my liver.
I have cardiac cirrhosis. I was diagnosed with heart failure some years ago, the cause of which was deemed to be due to chemo/radiotherapy administered for breast cancer.
Subsequently, last November - exactly a year ago, I was diagnosed with alcohol related cirrhosis. I thought this odd as I have never been more of a drinker than most who drink - but it did turn out to be explained exactly as Katie (AyreshireK) mentions above not alcohol. (That was annoying in itself as it resulted in my driving license being revoked for a year as I was wrongly deemed alcohol dependent!)
It has resulted in something of a complicated situation, whereby I am suffering from subcutaneous itching and ascites. The ascites, it has been decided has more to do with my heart failure than with the liver (which all the bloods show is doing rather well, considering it is severely scarred). The itching is now considered to be kidney related - my kidneys have been described as 'deranged'! This results from the diuretics (fureusomide and spinarolactone (sp. ?) which I have taken for years to alleviate fluid build up resulting from the heart failure.
Anyway I'm probably not helping shed more light, other than to say cardiac cirrhosis is a thing and to agree wholeheartedly with Bluegirl 52 to take care of your heart and make sure you do chase up your doctor as Katie says, as it is an urgent situation and you will need the correct referrals.
I really really appreciate the experiences you have shared with me and also the medical information about Congestive Hepatology. My mum had heart issues at a younger age than I am now, but managed for many years. I don’t really know ifI’m correct in thinking there might be some kind of link(no liver issues though)
I am going to give it a few days and then I will follow up with the consultants secretary. I’m hoping “no news is good news”
Please don't delay too long or go with the no news is good news .......... no news can also mean you're feed back has been forgotten. Sadly this is all too common these days and you do have to be your own advocate and chase things. Had several experiences of this along hubbies journey.
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AIH and Cirrhosis 
LIVER CIRRHOSIS AND ULTRASOUND SCAN
Cirrhosis / not cirrhosis
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