Cirrhosis
Liver Cirrhosis is the end stage of chronic liver disease, where most of the healthy tissue (parenchyma) is replaced by scars that develop as a result of chronic inflammation (hepatitis). The final stage of disease progression is chronic liver failure. Liver cirrhosis is an irreversible condition, therefore organ transplantation is the only method of radical treatment.
Causes of Liver Cirrhosis
The main causes of the disease include:
- Chronic viral hepatitis (primarily C and B);
- Alcoholic liver disease;
- Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (steatohepatitis) in the context of diabetes, obesity, and dyslipidemias;
- Autoimmune pathologies (autoimmune hepatitis, primary biliary cholangitis, primary sclerosing cholangitis);
- Genetic metabolic disorders (hemochromatosis, Wilson's disease);
- Toxic hepatitis (prolonged exposure to certain environmental toxins or medications: for example, NSAIDs and acetaminophen (paracetamol).
Important: Often, several factors act on the liver simultaneously (for example, viral hepatitis + alcohol), which significantly accelerates the development of cirrhosis.
Symptoms of Liver Cirrhosis
- Persistent general weakness, rapid fatigue, significant weight loss;
- Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes), intense skin itching;
- Enlargement of the abdomen due to the accumulation of free fluid (ascites);
- Appearance of vascular "spiders" on the upper half of the torso, redness of the palms (palmar erythema);
- Tendency to bruise easily, prolonged bleeding from the nose and gums (due to reduced synthesis of blood clotting factors);
- Swelling of the lower extremities;
- Impaired consciousness, memory disorders, disorientation, and hand tremor (hepatic encephalopathy), caused by poisoning of the brain with unfiltered toxins.
- Hormonal imbalance: erectile dysfunction, missed periods, decreased libido.
Life-threatening complications of cirrhosis include:
- Gastrointestinal bleeding from varicose veins of the esophagus
- Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (ascites)
- Impaired kidney function (hepatorenal syndrome)
- Respiratory failure (hepatopulmonary syndrome)
- Acute liver failure due to chronic liver disease
- Malignant liver tumors (hepatocellular carcinoma in viral liver cirrhosis or cholangiocarcinoma as a result of primary sclerosing cholangitis)
Diagnosis of Liver Cirrhosis at Oberig Clinic
The following are used to confirm the diagnosis, determine the stage of fibrosis, and detect complications:
- Ultrasound of the liver with vascular Doppler and elastography (non-invasive measurement of liver density to determine the degree of fibrosis) — examinations are performed on expert-class equipment, the ACUSON Sequoia ultrasound system from SIEMENS AG.
- Computed tomography (CT) (including contrast enhancement) — examinations are performed on a modern 128-slice SIEMENS AG CT scanner.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) - the clinic is equipped with the latest Vida 3 Tesla MRI machine and is a reference center for Siemens AG in Ukraine.
- Esophagogastroduodenoscopy — performed to assess the presence and degree of varicose veins in the esophagus and stomach on FUJI and Olympus equipment with artificial intelligence. Oberig Clinic is a leader in implementing the latest technologies in endoscopy.
- For histological verification of the diagnosis — ultrasound-guided biopsy performed by the expert in interventional radiology, Y. Ye. Chirkov (as indicated).
- Laboratory tests in our own certified laboratory.
Treatment of Liver Cirrhosis at Oberig Clinic
Conservative treatment is mostly symptomatic and aimed, first and foremost, at correcting the complications of decompensated liver cirrhosis. It is carried out, if necessary, in the inpatient department or intensive care unit of UC "Oberig" by an experienced team of transplant surgeons, anesthetists, and gastroenterologists.
The only method that allows saving a patient's life in the terminal stage of the disease (decompensated cirrhosis) is surgical intervention — liver transplantation.
Why choose Oberig Clinic for the treatment of liver cirrhosis?
- National leadership in the field of living donor liver transplantation: as of 1.03.2026, 212 liver transplants have been performed on adults and children, 205 of which were from a living donor.
- Treatment effectiveness: patient survival rates are comparable to the best world transplant centers — over 85%.
- Treatment accessibility: free-of-charge transplantation for patients under the concluded agreement with the National Health Service of Ukraine (NHSU).
- Full-cycle clinic: the entire necessary complex of diagnostic services (MRI, CT, Ultrasound, ERCP, pathohistology) and all types of treatment in one clinic.
- Patient safety: ensuring infectious monitoring at all stages of treatment.
Sign up for a consultation with Oberig Clinic doctors
Online consultation appointment: https://my.oberig.ua/ua/appointment/ or call +38 044 521 30 03
