Exclusion criteria were: inability to obtain informed consent, possible non-cirrhotic ascites, congestive heart failure (defined by clinical exam and echocardiogram), acute renal failure, hepatocellular carcinoma based on the Barcelona Clinic liver Cancer (BCLC) criteria , complete portal vein thrombosis, active sepsis or other incurable cancers. The study was approved by the institutional Ethics Committee and written informed consent was obtained for all patients.