![]() “If we had more (organ) donors, we would be able to save more lives,” she said As a result, Frenette said, 20 to 30 percent of those waiting for a liver transplant die while being on the wait list. Sharma said about 17,000 people are awaiting liver transplants, compared to 6,000 liver transplants done annually in the U.S. While a transplant rids the body of cirrhosis and comes with an 85 percent survival rate after five years, the demand for livers is higher than the supply of available organs. Today, a liver transplant is the only available treatment for end-stage liver disease. Cirrhosis is thought to be the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S., and it’s more common in men than in women, with an approximate ratio of 2-to-1. Sharma said symptoms start with decreased appetite, weight loss, nose bleeds/bruising and weakness and progress to mental confusion, abdominal swelling and jaundice - and cirrhosis, which can ultimately lead to death. ![]() She said its function could be at 30 percent before symptoms begin to show. However, because it’s a “forgiving organ” Frenette said, the liver can withstand a lot of damage before symptoms of cirrhosis begin to appear. “Stopping the damage may allow the liver to repair, regenerate and heal.” “Medications and surgery are helpful in improving liver blood flow,” Sharma said. ![]() Therefore, in many patients, treating cirrhosis means treating hepatitis C, eliminating consumption of alcohol, treating obesity, preventing hepatitis B, removing exposure to toxins or treating metabolic or autoimmune diseases. ![]() When it comes to treating cirrhosis, Frenette said, health care providers must treat the underlying cause of the disease. In addition to alcoholism and hepatitis C, Sharma said, other causes include obesity, hepatitis B, toxins and medications, metabolic diseases, autoimmune diseases with some causes being idiopathic, or still unknown. ![]()
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