Barb in Texas/Nikki/Stents vs Balloons

[Guest guest]

Thanks for giving me an out while on the road visiting family. My MIL has a

fantastic computer and since we arrived today and she is very nice about

allowing us to use her machine, I'm going to be able to reply to some of the

questions posed.

There are a few other things they can do about varices but none are as easy as

taking a pill. They can keep a closer eye on them by doing frequent scopes and

banding (with elastic bands) or sclerosing the varices with various injectable

drugs. And they can ask you to take it easy, no lifting, no exertion, no stress.

But you should be doing this anyway, even if they are doing the other things. No

matter how they are treated, they tend to come back because the underlying

cause, the fibrosis and scarring of the liver is preventing blood from flowing

freely through it, has not changed and will only worsen. The only other option,

and the only cure, is tx.

As mentioned in the article posted to the group, a randomised trial comparing

both methods of dealing with narrowed areas is the best way to know which works

and what the true adverse effect profile is for both. One method may work

slightly better but have a worse adverse effect profile than the other, or the

narrowed areas may come back sooner with one than the other. New coated stents

are now available for use in arteries (used in coronary artery narrowing). These

stents coated with immunosupressants drugs seem to work a lot better for this

indication and may be more efficacious in bile ducts as well. Only time and

testing will tell.

Aubrey

MD, PSC 1981, UC 1991, Psoriatic Arthritis 1986, Liver tx 1998