The Effectiveness of L-ornithine-L-aspartate (LOLA) on Plasma Ammonia in Cirrhotic Patients After TIPS

Inclusion Criteria: * Cirrhotic patients with refractory ascites or at least one episode of variceal bleeding * No active bleeding within 5 days before TIPS * Child-Pugh score ≤ 11 * Signed written informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * An age \< 18 years or \> 65 years * With TIPS contraindications * Using drugs for hepatic encephalopathy such as neomycin, rifaximin, lactulose, lactitol or branched-chain amino acid. * Intake of psychostimulants, sedatives, antidepressants, benzodiazepines or benzodiazepine-antagonists * Past or present history of hepatic encephalopathy * Pregnancy or breast-feeding * Hepatic carcinoma and/or other malignancy diseases * Sepsis * Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis * Uncontrollable hypertension * Serious cardiac or pulmonary dysfunction * Renal failure * Portal vein thrombosis * History of organ transplantation * History of HIV (human immunodeficiency viruses) infection