"Ascites is the abnormal build-up of fluid in your abdomen. The most common cause of ascites is chronic liver disease. The liver and kidneys in patients with liver problems stop working properly and fluid stops being exchanged within the cells in the way it should. This leads to ascites."
"The purpose of an ascitic drain is to drain the fluid that has accumulated in your abdomen. It is a common and effective treatment for ascites."
"A doctor will examine you or use an ultrasound machine to decide the best place to insert the drain into your abdomen. This would involve inserting a large needle into your abdomen and then the drain. This drain will be there for a few hours."
"It can be painful when the needle is inserted so we are going to use a local anaesthetic to help numb the area before we insert the needle."
"You will also be given a solution called the human albumin solution (HAS) through your veins after a specific amount of fluid has been drained from your tummy. This solution replaces the fluid lost and helps to maintain the circulating blood volume to prevent any complications."
"Paracentesis is generally a safe procedure with a very small rate of significant side effects, but complications can sometimes happen."
"Common complications include tiredness after the procedure, low blood pressure, abdominal pain. Sometimes, the procedure might be unsuccessful because we fail to locate a suitable area for drainage and will have to re-attempt the procedure. There might also be leakage of fluid from the drain site for up to 72 hours and this may require a single stitch."
"Uncommon complications include infection of the skin or abdominal fluid from the drain insertion and bleeding from the insertion site, which can rarely be severe requiring intervention."
"Rare complications include damage to one of the intra-abdominal organs (e.g. liver, gut, spleen)."
"How do you feel about the information that I have provided?"
"We use local anaesthetic, which is anaesthetic that numbs the skin. You will be awake during the procedure. We'll use a small needle with anaesthetic to numb the skin where the drain will be inserted. More anaesthetic will be used before we insert the drain. It may feel a little uncomfortable when the drain goes in, however it should not be too painful. You may feel some pushing and pulling."
"Would you mind summarising what we have talked about today?"