Patient's question:
I am 38 years old. Recently, I feel that my liver is very tired. I haven't had a good appetite, and at night, I always feel a sharp pain in my stomach. I went to a nearby hospital for a check-up and was told it was liver disease. They advised me to get injections. Can surgical treatment be performed if it is moderate ascites?Doctor's answer:
Cirrhosis with ascites does not necessarily require surgical treatment. First, it is important to identify the underlying cause of the cirrhosis, such as alcoholic hepatitis or hepatitis B. After identifying the cause, the primary focus should be on controlling the cause before proceeding with liver-protective treatments. For example, in alcoholic hepatitis, the first step is to control alcohol consumption. If the condition is caused by the hepatitis B virus, antiviral treatment is necessary. For patients with significant ascites, paracentesis can be performed to drain the fluid, which helps stabilize symptoms such as abdominal pain.