The most effective treatment plan for cirrhosis of the liver uses a multifaceted approach and varies depending on the cause of the disease. Treatment plans are individualized to best fit the patient's age, medical history, and stage of the disease. The goal of treatment is to stop or slow the progression of damage to the liver and minimize and quickly treat any complications, such as such as portal hypertension, esophageal varices, ascites, liver failure, hemorrhage and kidney failure.
The first step in treatment is prevention. Prevention measures include not drinking alcohol or drinking in moderation and avoiding exposure to hepatitis. Any potential exposure to hepatitis should promptly be reported to a physician or other licensed health care provider.
Treatment of a diagnosed case of cirrhosis of the liver includes addressing underlying causes such as alcoholism or hepatitis or hemochromatosis. Treatment of cirrhosis of the liver due to alcoholism includes abstaining from alcohol. Treatment of cirrhosis of the liver due to hepatitis may include corticosteroid drugs for autoimmune hepatitis or the medication interferon to treat a hepatitis infection.
People with cirrhosis of the liver should not take any supplements, over-the-counter medications or prescription drugs without consulting their health care provider. This is because the liver may not be able to clear the drugs from the body and can lead to toxic levels of chemicals or substances in the body.
Complications of cirrhosis of the liver are also treated as appropriate. Treatment of the life-threatening complications of liver failure may include liver transplant for some people. This major surgical procedure involves using a healthy donor liver to replace a severely diseased liver.
The list of treatments mentioned in various sources for Cirrhosis of the liver includes the following list. Always seek professional medical advice about any treatment or change in treatment plans.
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Treatment will also include remedies for complications. For example, for ascites and edema, the doctor may recommend a low-sodium diet or the use of diuretics, which are drugs that remove fluid from the body. Antibiotics will be prescribed for infections, and various medications can help with itching. Protein causes toxins to form in the digestive tract, so eating less protein will help decrease the buildup of toxins in the blood and brain. The doctor may also prescribe laxatives to help absorb the toxins and remove them from the intestines.
For portal hypertension, the doctor may prescribe blood pressure medication such as a beta-blocker. If varices bleed, the doctor may either inject them with a clotting agent or perform a rubber-band ligation, which uses a special device to compress the varices and stop the bleeding.
When complications cannot be controlled or when the liver becomes so damaged from scarring that it completely stops functioning, a liver transplant is necessary. In liver transplantation surgery, a diseased liver is removed and replaced with a healthy one from an organ donor. About 80 to 90 percent of people survive liver transplantation. Survival rates have improved over the past several years because of drugs such as cyclosporine and tacrolimus, which suppress the immune system and keep it from attacking and damaging the new liver. (Source: excerpt from Cirrhosis of the Liver: NIDDK)
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