Liver transplant: TIPS (transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt)

@seho
I want to welcome you to Mayo Clinic Connect and to thank you for reaching out to this community with your question.

I am a transplant recipient (liver/kidney) and I had to look up TIPS ( transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt) because I was unfamiliar with it from my own experience. As I was reading, I did learn that it is a procedure for diverting blood flow away from the portal vein. A shunt creates an opening between the portal vein and the hepatic vein, which carries blood from your liver to your heart to reduce pressure in the portal vein. It often stops bleeding from esophageal varices. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/esophageal-varices/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20351544

As for myself, I did have esophageal varices, and they were closely monitored by my doctors prior to my transplant. I took medications to reduce the blood pressure and I needed to have elastic banding when I experienced some bleeding.
Your situation sounds positive because you have said you have been fine. While I wait with you to see if anyone has an experience to share about TIPS, I would like to ask if you were a candidate for a liver transplant before the TIPS? Do the doctors say whether you will be a liver transplant candidate in the future? What kind of follow-up is provided?

I don’t have a TIPS for now Doctor put me into NADODOL
To reduce the portal
hypertension but he mention a TIPS so before doing a TIPS need to contact anyone with tips done and what is the side efects???

@arqui02000, I am learning along with you.
Has your doctor indicated when you might expect to benefit from the medication? How is the progress being monitored?
How do you feel? Are you able to be physically active? Are there any dietary changes in order?

It was my husband (not me) who had TIPs last June. He is listed for a transplant but chances of that remote, hence his opting to have TIPs to improve his quality of life, particularly with ascites and related hernias. The last few months have been challenging as he developed severe Edema in his whole leg area but that is now almost gone with diuretics. Also his ascites has greatly lessened (he might have to go in every 3 or 4 months for fluid drainage, compared to every 4 weeks before TIPs). He is also feeling generally better so it looks like things are finally settling down.

good to here your husband is doing fine with the TIPS why he has no chance of the transplant soon?

@arqui02000 We live in Hong Kong and availability of transplant livers are minimal. It is not the culture for people to donate while living and families are not to keen on donating organs after a death. While he is on the transplant list his meld score is no where near enough to be give priority for a liver.

It was my husband (not me) who had TIPs last June. He is listed for a transplant but chances of that remote, hence his opting to have TIPs to improve his quality of life, particularly with ascites and related hernias. The last few months have been challenging as he developed severe Edema in his whole leg area but that is now almost gone with diuretics. Also his ascites has greatly lessened (he might have to go in every 3 or 4 months for fluid drainage, compared to every 4 weeks before TIPs). He is also feeling generally better so it looks like things are finally settling down.

@marinab, It sounds like your husband is feeling some positive results from the TIPS procedure. I had ascites and edema before transplant, and I remember the great relief after the fluid was drained. Even if the Paracentesis to drain the fluids, his current 3-4 months is a BIG improvement over the 3-4 weeks!
I am glad he is beginning to feel better. I bet that makes you feel better, too. Do you and he have to travel very far to get the fluid drained?