Patient's question:
I have been experiencing increasingly severe abdominal edema in the past half year. At first, when I didn't feel anything, I thought it was just weight gain. Two months ago, I went to the hospital for a thorough examination, and the doctor said I have ascites. Taking medication hasn't shown any significant improvement. I would like to ask if there are any methods to treat ascites?Doctor's answer:
The patient has been carefully examined and found to have ascites. The recurrence of ascites is primarily due to the patient being in the decompensated stage of cirrhosis. Mainly, the treatment should involve the use of diuretics and albumin infusion. Additionally, liver-protecting medications should be administered. If the ascites is significant and causes severe abdominal bloating, peritoneal puncture to remove fluid can be considered. This approach may lead to a substantial loss of protein, necessitating further albumin infusion. Alternatively, the patient can also be treated with plasma transfusion.