TIPS (Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt)

A healthy liver does many important jobs. It processes alcohol, food, and medicines. It makes digestive juices, helps with blood clotting, and helps your body fight infection. The portal vein is the large vessel that carries most of the blood from the intestine to the liver. Certain diseases or a blockage in the portal vein can cause blood pressure to rise in this vein. This often leads to fluid buildup in the abdomen (ascites) and massive bleeding. The TIPS procedure helps ease the pressure in the portal vein. The procedure is done by a specially trained doctor called an interventional radiologist.