Transcatheter interventions for valvular heart diseases in liver cirrhosis patients.

There is an increasing prevalence of patients who have both liver cirrhosis (LC) and severe valvular heart disease. This combination typically poses prohibitive risk for liver transplantation. LC related malnourishment, hypoalbuminemia and hyperdynamic circulation places patients with severe LC at higher rates for significant bleeding and/or thrombosis, as well as infectious and renal complications, after either surgical or transcatheter valvular interventions. Although there remains scarce comparative evidence, the preponderance of data suggest that percutaneous strategies are preferred over surgical ones. A multidisciplinary team is ideal for identifying those patients with LC who would benefit from transcatheter valvular heart interventions.