The liver is a fairly resilient organ and can take a lot of damage and still do its job. However, when healthy liver cells are repeatedly damaged over many years, they eventually die and are replaced by non-functioning scar tissue. Over time, this scar tissue accumulates into clumps, or nodules, and the liver becomes deformed. Normal blood flow is blocked and the liver can no longer do its job. This irreversible condition is called cirrhosis.

Cirrhosis can have a number of causes. Three most common are chronic excessive alcohol consumption, viral hepatitis, or fatty liver. The complications of cirrhosis can often be treated, but unfortunately, there is no treatment for cirrhosis itself other than liver transplantation. The liver is a vital organ and as the liver fails, death often occurs.