HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Education-Part 1 of 3: Anatomy of the Liver

Support Forums
>
Hepatitis
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 10/28/2007 3:56 PM (GMT 0)
I hope that this information will help us all be educated in the function of the liver, normal lab values, and what happens when your liver is diseased or sick. I strongly believe in being proactive. The more informed we are the more questions we can ask. I believe in educating myself so that I can have a clearer understanding of the diease process. I hope not to offend anyone rather to add some knowledge. Many of the posters probably already know these things but for those that don't I hope it helps.

 Anatomy of the Liver: Part 1: The liver is on the right side upper portion of your abdomen. It has 4 lobes and is the only organ in the body that can regenerate itself. If you have surgery to remove part of the liver they can leave 25% of the liver and remove 75% and amazingly it will grow back!

VIEW IMAGE

Posted 10/28/2007 4:07 PM (GMT 0)
Part 2: Functions of the Liver:
a.) Produces and excretes bile
b.) metabalizes carbohydrates
3.) metabolizes lipids (fats)
4.) produces coagulation factors
5.) breaks down hemoglobin
6.) Converts ammonia to urea ( so you dump excess ammonia)
7.) Breaks down toxins to be secreted (This includes medicines we take-keeping the good and excreting the bad)
8.) Stores vitimins and minerals ( so your body can use these)
9.) In the first trimester of pregnancy your liver produces red blood cells for the fetus
10.) The liver is the sieve for immunological effects

When the liver is sick or diseased it can no longer function at its peak performance level. Thus we retain byproducts that will hurt us and make us fell sicker. Such is the case with the amonia levels. We don't dump the ammonia out and consequently our ammonia levels rise. This is a toxin and then we face the issues of toxicity. Lactulose is often given so that we excrete the ammonia through our stools.
Posted 10/28/2007 4:19 PM (GMT 0)
Part 3: Normal Lab Values for the Liver based on Adults
1.) AST= Normal: 0-42 Optimal=21
2.) alt=Normal: 0-48 Optimal=24
3.) Alkaline Phosphatase= Normal: 20-125 Optimal=72.5
4.) GGT= Normal Female: 0-45 Optimal: 22.5
Normal Male: 0-65 Optimal: 32.5
5.) LDH=Normal:0-250 Optimal:125
6.) Bilirubin,Total= Normal 0-1.3
7.) Amonia Nitogen=15-45 (I added this because so many people with liver diseases have elevated ammonia levels)

When these values are elevated it tells the DR that the liver is sick and not working properly. He/She can then order tests and medicines to try to get the values back to normal. Frequent Lab tests are ordered to monitor the progress of the liver function and to evaluate if the medicine is working.
Posted 11/25/2007 11:21 PM (GMT 0)
Shelly My husband is in later stages of cirhossis. Can you tell me why all of a sudden he is shaking so bad he can't even feed himself. Its not his amonia levels. Also all of a sudden he can hardly walk. This whole thing is just so scarey. Some days he goes crazy itching and others he is fine. I aggree on educating yourself. I can hardly stand not knowing the facts!!!
Posted Today 9:40 PM (GMT 0)

  Hi, sorry it has taken so long for me to respond to your question. I am not an expert but I can share my own experiences with my mom who had hepatitis that led to chirrosis and finally liver cancer. She too had the shakes and was unable to feed herself. My dad finally started feeding her. Her weakness increased to the point that she was falling down. She then began taking her clothes off and her confusion increased with each day. My understanding is that the toxins (not just amonia) begin to crystalize and cause pain, confusion, and weakness. She removed her clothing because the crystals actuall caused her skin to hurt with any kind of contact. That of course includes clothing. The itching is common with advance liver disease. Not every one has the itching but the majority of people do. As you know the liver is a huge filtering system for our bodies. As the waste is filtered normally we maintain normal healthy livers. When the liver is failing it ceases filtering all the waste products that are normally excreted out of the body. When this happens some of the waste stays in the body. Needless to say this is NOT good. The blood can be affected with material that is normally excreted. there are some other theories that are out there too. The itching seems to be incessant and difficult to relieve. My own conclusion is that the crystalized toxins are most probably the culprit. That is only my own theory though. I guess I would equate it with being covered in sand. Even though the sand is dried on our skin it is so aggrevating isn't it? So we attempt to brush it all off to give our poor skin some relief from the granuales that are irritating us. Just imagine if you had that feeling but could not get the sand odd of you! That must be how it feels to them. Make sure you tell his Dr. They may be able to help him. I hope this helped a little.

                                 Shelly

Posted Today 9:55 PM (GMT 0)
Shelly, It is good to hear from you. I hope you are doing well.
Posted 5/28/2008 2:43 AM (GMT 0)
Shelley, My husband also has issues with shaking that are not caused by am levels. I asked about this and was told if your in liver failure for lenghty time period you start to lose muscle mass and strength. It is like trying to lift a weight heavier than your body can tolerate, you shake from the effort and eventually lifting a cup or even holding your own arm up is to much. We have PT and OT coming in to help bring some strenght back and slow the breakdown of the muscles. I find it is helping and almost all the excercises are done in bed or his recliner so as to avoid falls. Also doesnt involve buying anything as you use basic household items. He has been in liver failure for 8yrs and also not able to work.  Sue
Posted 5/30/2008 4:55 PM (GMT 0)
Shadowsghost, I know it is so hard to see your husband like that. The weakness is called "Profound weakness". The PT and OT will help him regain some muscle mass so that is a good thing. Prolonged illness of any kind creates this type of weakness as we don't use our muscles as a result of the illness. Wasting occurs rapidly and is difficult to regain strength back. With determination and patience it can and does return as long as the original illness is under some kind of control. If you have ever had a cast on a leg or arm for any length of time you know that when they take the cast off the limb has lost it's muscle mass. That's why the Dr usually orders PT to start what's called "Muscle training". It is a slow process but very effective. It doesn't seem to take long and the muscle starts to develope again. Sounds like you are doing a great job with him. Keep it up!
Posted 5/31/2008 12:40 AM (GMT 0)
Thanx Shelly for the pat on the back. Also the info, I try to stay on top of things. I have a great group of dr's to guide me through this. They all say I am a great addition to their team cause sometimes i am teaching them things in a bit of a crazy humorous way. I am becoming known as the "bulldog" I hope thats a good thing hhhmmm I wonder now? Some do cower a bit when I come down the hall. SUE

Posted 5/31/2008 6:40 PM (GMT 0)
Sue, I am so proud of you for being a "Bull Dog" concerning your husbands care. Being passive and not participating in an aggressive manner doesn't get anyone very far. I think that many caregivers don't give themselves enough credit for the diligence and Pitbull attitude that they have developed. The days of passive or submissive patients and caregivers is over. That's why I preach all the time for patients and caregivers to be educated in the disease process. The more you know the more you can and should demand as far as care goes. Smart people make smart choices!
Posted 5/31/2008 8:25 PM (GMT 0)
Shelly, A doctor once told me "We have many patients you have one" so always stay active, verbal and educated. I have always been that way even with my girls, grandson, friends and now hubby. You can never know to much! Some things you may never use for loved ones but can always pass along to help others. Sue

Posted 7/9/2008 12:02 AM (GMT 0)

I just wanted to comment on that first part of the "anatomy" lesson, regarding regeneration.  In my case, where the right lobe had been basically killed, due to the chemicals/radiation introduced to destroy the tumor.  It not only killed the tumor, but the entire right lobe.  Therefore, when I had surgery to remove the right lobe, I was told it would NOT regenerate.  Amazingly, though, the left lobe grew, as if to take on the extra work of the missing right lobe.  I did see the ultrasound they used to perform the drainage placement last week, and could see that there was no right lobe at all. 

Just a bit of clarification for those who may have cancer treatment.

Connie

Posted 7/11/2008 8:04 AM (GMT 0)
Connie, I had been wondering about that. I was talking to Mom about you and told her that I was going to ask you about it. It is a miracle in itself, to me, that the liver will regenerate itself. I didn't know that the right and left liver lobes were so detached from each other that they couldn't regenerate on their own.
Mom was the one to ask me that. It didn't even occur to me at all. Puts a new perspective on transplants. Want to make sure they use the correct side, don't you?

I'm up way too late again. My sleep is more off than Terry's now.
Carol
Posted 7/11/2008 8:04 AM (GMT 0)
Connie, I had been wondering about that. I was talking to Mom about you and told her that I was going to ask you about it. It is a miracle in itself, to me, that the liver will regenerate itself. I didn't know that the right and left liver lobes were so detached from each other that they couldn't regenerate on their own.
Mom was the one to ask me that. It didn't even occur to me at all. Puts a new perspective on transplants. Want to make sure they use the correct side, don't you?

I'm up way too late again. My sleep is more off than Terry's now.
Carol
Posted 5/4/2009 6:44 AM (GMT 0)
bump
Posted 5/13/2009 6:50 AM (GMT 0)
Bump.
Posted 6/13/2009 2:42 PM (GMT 0)
bump for Laura
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply