What Is The Procedure Called When They Drain Fluid From The Abdomen When Someone Has Liver Cancer?

Draining fluid is known as large volume paracentesis. Cancer of the abdomen can be a terrible and painful experience and can involve a build up around of excess fluid the stomach known as ascites. This fluid builds up because the cancer gets in between the stomach lining and the stomach. The cancer may have spread to the liver at this stage and cause this build-up.

Ascites may cause a person to look bloated due to water build up and you may also be offered chemotherapy to help. This is a very common occurrence in ovarian cancer as fluid trapped by the irritated stomach lining builds up in the abdominal cavity.

Ascites may also block blood flow to the liver and cause back pressure, thereby causing this issue.

A healthy liver makes proteins that ensure this does not happen, however a damaged liver will mean these fluids leak out and begin to collect in the abdomen or even the limbs, such as the ankles or elbows.

Doctors can drain excess fluid from the abdomen by putting a needle into the stomach. Though it is likely this fluid will continuously build up unless doctors can curtail it. Doctors sometimes use a drug called catumaxomab to attract immune cells to the abdomen area to prevent this. Sometimes doctors also put an internal tube under the skin to permanently drain the fluid and prevent this from constantly happening.

The biggest problem with stomach cancer is the fact that it builds up and travels to other vital organs in the stomach causing this issue and an array of others to take place.

If you have any cramps, pains or are passing blood you should make sure that you contact your health professional immediately so they can perform tests on you and if you’re sick, give you treatment as early as possible.

The fluid in the abdomen due to some diseases can be drained by a procedure called abdominal tap. In this procedure, an needle is inserted in to the abdomen through skin by the doctor to remove water. There are two types of abdominal tap.

1. Diagnostic abdominal tap: Small amount of fluid is taken for laboratory investigations.
2. Large volume tap: Almost all fluid is taken out to relieve abdominal pain.

For more details, visit Abdominal Tap.

The procedure is called an abdominal paracentesis or ascites fluid tap.  It's used to draw a sample of fluid for examination, or to drain an abnormal accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity.  My sister had to have this procedure several times when she was in the final stages of colon cancer.