A Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt (TIPSS) is a radiology procedure in which a tubular device is inserted in the middle of the liver to redirect the blood flow. TIPSS is used to treat portal hypertension, which often is due to scarring of the liver (cirrhosis), which frequently leads to intestinal bleeding or the buildup of fluid within the abdomen. TIPSS works to decrease the effective vascular resistance of the liver. The result is a reduced pressure drop over the liver and a decreased portal venous pressure. This, in turn, lessens the pressure on the blood vessels in the intestine so that future bleeding is less likely to occur. The reduced pressure also makes less fluid develop, although this benefit may take weeks or months to occur.