What is decompensated cirrhosis?

The liver can compensate for a lot of damage, repairing and even regenerating itself. However, eventually, as more and more healthy liver cells are replaced by hard scar tissue, the organ declines so much that it cannot any longer carry out its functions. This is called decompensated cirrhosis.

Decompensated cirrhosis can be serious because it has a knock-on effect on other systems in the body, including the digestive and circulatory systems.

Symptoms of decompensated cirrhosis may include jaundice, high blood pressure, swelling of the legs and feet, red, blotchy palms, itching, easy bruising and excessive bleeding.

A patient with decompensated cirrhosis should expect to spend more time in hospital as the condition needs to be closely monitored and fluids, nutrition and treatments given.