Ask Your Questions About-HCV! of our Hepatitis Experts:

What is the risk of variceal hemorrhage after a liver transplant?

Dear Dr Chung,

Thank you for making this list available to the many people in this world who need it.

I was infected with HepC at the age of 16 via blood transfusion. I was diagnosed in 1973 at age 17 with Acute Hepatitis Non A Non B. In 1995 I was rediagnosed with Hep C after my first Variceal Hemorrhage. It was very severe and I nearly bled to death internally before I discovered I had the problem. At that time I was diagnosed with ESLD and a transplant was inevitable. Transplant received 12-01-00 at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. In the meantime I had two additional hemorrhages. I was banded many times to correct this problem.

With all this being said my question is this..... Since I now have a new liver and doing great, am I still a risk for additional bleeds? Do the varices collapse now that I have a healthy liver? It is no longer necessary to take Inderal because my blood pressure is very good 120/70. I live on a small Island and the closest hospital is 30 minutes away and that is only if I don't have to deal with the Draw Bridge being up. My doctor said after my second hemorrhage the chance of my surviving a third one was next to nil. The mortality rate was 1% if I remember correctly. I did survive a third one. Can I put my mind to rest? I keep forgetting to ask my Hepatologist this question. I live 5 hours from Miami and only see him every other month. Thank you for your precious time. This is a wonderful service you are providing. God Bless you.

Sincerely, J.

Dr. Chung writes--

J., they may take a few months to collapse, but they do with a healthy liver. your risk is very low now, decreases with every day out from transplant, and with a healthy liver will become nil. Good luck. RC