cirrhosis

[Arlliz]

My MELD was low at 7. What does this mean.

[HectorSF]

"My MELD was low at 7. What does this mean."
Basically it means you have minimal compensated cirrhosis since the lowest number on the scale is 6. Which is not to say the person may not feel ill. Each person is different and people with the same MELD score can experience there illness very differently.

The MELD score system has been used in the US since 2002 to determine eligibility for liver transplant.

The score is an indication of how ill a person is based on how likely they are to die soon. It is based on three blood tests. It is the person that is most likely to die of all the people in the waiting list qt transplant center that generally receives the next available deceased donor liver. Based on blood type and size also.

A person with a MELD score below 15 will live longer if they don't have a transplant then if they have a transplant. That is why many if not most only list patients with a MELD score of 15 and above.

A typical transplant patient in NYC, the Bay Area or LA  where there are long waiting lists can have with a MELD score in the 30s indicating extensive damage to their liver function with all of the complications of decompensated cirrhosis.They will need a transplant soon to continue living.

Most people with compensated cirrhosis and a low MELD score can thankfully treat their hep C and if successful can prevent the need for transplant unless they develop liver cancer while cirrhotic.

Cheers!
Hector

[Advocate1955]

My husband's MELD score has been around 7 for about 4 years.  It's my understanding that he is considered by his hepatologist to be very stable.  She says that his liver is functioning well and performing all of the tasks that it needs to perform.  She says that his liver is "well-compensated", which means "working well".  His hepatologist sees him every 3-6 months to do lab work to check his liver function and to do imaging (ultrasounds, CT scans) to screen for liver cancer.
Advocate1955

[nan535]

Hi

This is an excerpt from a pamphlet published by UNOS  "Questions and Answers for Transplant Candidates about MELD and PELD:

http://www.unos.org/docs/MELD_PELD.pdf

"The Model for End Stage Liver Disease (MELD) is a numerical scale, ranging from 6 (less ill) to 40 (gravely ill) used for liver transplant candidates age 12 and older.  It gives each person a 'score' (number) based on how urgently he or she needs a liver transplant within the next three months.  The number is calculated by a formula using three routine lab test results:
-billirubin ...
-INR - (prothrombin time)...
-creatinine  ..."

The fact that your MELD score is at 7 means that you are less ill as compared to someone who is on the higher end  and have a lower risk or need for a liver transplant within the next three months.

Hope this is helpful.

Nan