Your doctor may have referred you to the Hepatopulmonary Syndrome Clinic, but you may not be sure as to why you were referred. Below is some information to help you prepare for your appointment:
Hepatopulmonary Syndrome (HPS) is a rare abnormality of the lung which is caused by liver disease. Although not all patients with liver disease get this lung abnormality, patients who do have it can become short of breath and have low oxygen levels.
Your doctor has referred you for evaluation in case you have this condition. Many patients with liver disease have shortness of breath, and many patients have low oxygen levels for reasons other than hepatopulmonary syndrome. In fact, after testing is complete, we find that the majority of the patients that are seen for evaluation in the Hepatopulmonary Syndrome Clinic do not in fact have hepatopulmonary syndrome. Therefore, you may or may not have hepatopulmonary syndrome, but it is important to complete testing to determine this.
The section on Testing & What to Expect explains all of the testing that is done during a visit to the Hepatopulmonary Syndrome Clinic.
