Prognostic Models in Cirrhosis: An Anesthetist Perspective

The understanding of the pathophysiology of liver diseases has grown over the years and so has the therapeutic options available for their management. Progress has been made from shunt surgeries to Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts (TIPSS) and liver transplant. Improved survival in these patients has resulted in an increase in the number of patients suffering from liver disease who present for surgery/noninvasive procedures in diverse clinical scenarios [1] Improved care in the critical care setting has also enabled many patients with decompensated liver disease to undergo liver transplantation successfully. Risk estimation and prognostication, therefore, becomes very important for the anaesthetist who will encounter such patients in different clinical settings.