Schedule Call Us Text Us

1.9K Reviews | 4.7 Star Rating | 20+ years of experience | 72k+ Patients Treated

Top Portal Hypertension Gastroenterologist

Dr. Bharat Pothuri (GastroDoxs, Houston) is a physician who has developed a personalized advanced treatment of portal hypertension. He is board-certified in liver and digestive diseases and provides compassionate expert treatments-both medical and procedures-so that every outcome is likely to be optimal and an existing level of life is improved.

Call Us 832-632-4070 Schedule Now Click Here Text Us 832-632-4070 Learn More Click Here

Difficulty Swallowing

American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy

About the Expert

Dr. Bharat Pothuri is a board-certified gastroenterologist and the founder of GastroDoxs. With extensive experience in digestive health, he specializes in advanced endoscopic procedures, chronic GI disorder management, and preventive care. Dr. Pothuri is dedicated to providing expert, patient-focused insights to help improve gut health and overall well-being.

Common Causes and Risk Factors

Liver scarring (cirrhosis)
Portal vein blood clots
Schistosomiasis (parasites)
Some heart disorders leading to the back-pressure
Hepatitis B or C infections
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
Heavy alcohol use
Liver disease in the family history

Signs and Symptoms

Often none in early stages
Abdominal swelling (ascites)
Enlarged spleen
Digestive tract bleeding (variceal bleeding)
Presence of visible veins on the abdomen (caput medusae-)
Jaundice (whiteness of the skin or eyes)
Loss of intellect or mental computeriness (hepatic encephalopathy)

Expert Treatment for Portal Hypertension by Dr. Bharat Pothuri

Dr. Pothuri uses a step-by-step approach:

Medical History and Physical Exam

He examines your symptoms, including pain in the epigastric area, bloating, or bleeding; any previous liver disease, alcoholism, and family history.

Blood Tests

We order liver enzymes, complete blood count, coagulation studies and viral hepatitis studies to evaluate liver functionality and eliminate other risks.

Imaging Studies

Abdominal Doppler Tracks the flow in portal veins, size of the spleen and the presence of ascites.
CT Scan or MRI involves a clear picture of the structure of the liver, varices and collateral vessels.

Endoscopy

An upper GI endoscopy examines the enlarged veins (varices) in your esophagus or stomach which can bleed.

Hepatic Venous Pressure Gradient (HVPG)

This is a direct test using a catheter that is inserted in your portal vein to check and determine the degree of portal hypertension.

Treatment

Our Team offers a full range of care for portal hypertension.

1. Healthy Lifestyle and Supportive Care

Reduced salt dieting as a means of reducing fluid retention.
Total alcohol abstinence.
Light, physical activity that is doctor-approved to keep one strong.

2. Medications

To decrease portal vein pressure, non-selective beta-blockers are used.
Diuretics (water pills) in order to treat ascites.
Prevention or treatment of hepatic encephalopathy with lactulose or rifaximin.

3. Endoscopic and Interventional Procedures

Elective variceal ligation (banding) to prevent or cure variceal bleeding.
Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt (TIPS) of refractory portal hypertension.
Assessment of the liver transplantation in patients with decompensated cirrhosis.

Call Us 832-632-4070 Schedule Now Click Here Text Us 832-632-4070

1.5K

Patients Treated

Dr. Pothuri has treated more than 1.5K patients, helping individuals improve their digestive health and overall well-being through expert, personalized care.

20Y

Years of Experience

With over 20 years of experience, GastroDoxs has been a trusted provider of gastroenterology care, focusing on delivering the best outcomes for patients

About the Author

Dr. Bharat Pothuri is a Board-Certified Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist. With extensive experience in digestive health, he specializes in advanced endoscopic procedures, chronic GI disorder management, and preventive care. Dr. Pothuri is dedicated to providing expert, patient-focused insights to help improve gut health and overall well-being.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is portal hypertension?

High blood pressure in the portal venous system, typically as a result of cirrhosis, results in varices and ascites.

What symptoms occur?

The symptoms comprise large spleen, bleeding varicose veins, ascites (fluid in the belly), and that of hepatic encephalopathy.

How is it diagnosed?

Diagnosis is through the use of imaging (ultrasound Doppler), endoscopy review of varices, and hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG).

What treatments are available?

There are nonselective beta? blockers, endoscopic banding varices, diuretic ascites, TIPS and liver transplant as necessitated.

Related Blogs