Hi Laura
I am Doug from Colorado. I have chronic HCV genotype 1a with End Stage Liver Disease. I have been evaluated & accepted in the liver transplant program here. I had the combo interferon/ribavirin therapy for 48 weeks last year. For awhile, the HCV was not detectable, but it came back within 90 days of completing treatment.
I believe the procedure you refer is paracentesis. I have ascsites but so far it has been controlled by Aldactone & Lasix (diuretic pills). I haven't had to have it drained. I really can't answer the question about how often this is done; on a schedule or as needed.
I have esophageal varices which have been banded because they either were, or were about to start, bleeding into my stomach. This is a life threatening situation. So I go every 90 days for an upper endoscopy (EGD) to try & prevent it from happening again. When I am checked, they do it with the scope which also takes pictures & bands the varices, if necessary. The cause of this is portal hypertension. But I have not heard of banding of the portal vein itself. By the way, the portal vein carries blood from the small intestine to the liver. Portal hypertension slows this blood flow but the blood keeps coming anyway, so it basically finds another way to keep flowing, & creates it's own paths which are called varices (similar in a way to the varicose legs visible on a person's legs). Are you sure the doctor is banding the vein itself, or is it banding of the varices? The bands are basically that - small rubber bands that the doctor places over the varices with the scope machine, cutting off the blood flowing where it shouldn't be flowing. It is a very quick procedure. They are usually finished with me in 15 minutes or so.
Sorry if I explained too much. I don't know how familiar you are with all this stuff.
Doug