Is cirrhosis of the liver curable?
Cirrhosis of the liver itself is usually no longer curable. However, preliminary stages of the disease (fatty degeneration of the liver) can still be reversed. The first remodelling processes are caused by liver-damaging substances such as drugs, medication, alcohol and excessive fat consumption.
The resulting fatty liver is a reversible (reversible) change in liver tissue and can be cured by dispensing with the above-mentioned substances. As soon as the connective tissue transformation takes place, the process is no longer reversible and is referred to as cirrhosis of the liver. The only “healing possibility” is a liver transplantation.
When does one need a liver transplant?
Liver transplantation is the only way to cure cirrhosis of the liver and is performed in the most advanced stages of liver cirrhosis, if an organ is available. A point value, the so-called MELD-Score, is used for this purpose. The MELD-Score calculates from the concentration of bilirubin, creatinine (kidney value) and INR (coagulation value) an approximation for the remaining function of the liver and can be used to assess the urgency of a liver transplant.
This is what cirrhosis of the liver looks like in the final stage
In the final stage, liver cirrhosis is characterized by a variety of symptoms. There is a significantly reduced amount of protein that is still produced in the liver. This results in a strong tendency to oedema with water retention in the extremities (especially the legs) and abdomen (ascites).
In addition, the concentration of blood breakdown products increases continuously. This leads to an accumulation of bilirubin, causing the skin to turn yellow (so-called icterus). This often leads to complaints such as itching.
In addition, the synthesis capacity of the liver decreases in the final stage to such an extent that the clotting factors are no longer available in sufficient quantities. This quickly leads to extensive bleeding. Since the vessels in the liver are also congested and thus large environmental circuits are formed, an injury to these vessels in combination with poor coagulation can lead to life-threatening bleeding. In addition, toxins such as ammonia accumulate due to the poor metabolic condition. These reach the brain and lead to hepatic encephalopathy.