Hepatology: All your questions answered!

You may be on the lookout for the best hepatologist in Delhi, Mumbai, or other cities, but do you actually know about what the specialization is actually about? Knowing more about Hepatology can actually help you a lot when it comes to finding the best hepatologist in Delhi or in other cities.

What is Hepatology?

It is one of the many branches of medical sciences and it covers prevention and cure of diseases of the liver, gall bladder, biliary tree, and pancreas. The term is derived from the Greek words “hepatikos” and “logia”, which mean liver and study, respectively. Hepatology covers jaundice and liver-related ailments such as cancer and transplantation. The field also covers drug overdose, pancreatitis, GIT bleeding, and biliary infection bleeding. The field is known for diagnosis, management, and prevention of ailments such as liver cirrhosis, hemochromatosis, and hepatitis.

Who is a Hepatologist?

A hepatologist is a doctor who has specialised in the diagnosis, prevention, and management of the liver and its associated ailments. The liver is one of the primary organs that require special attention in terms of treatment. A hepatologist is known to cure the diseases listed earlier. These cures also come along with management and effective treatment of the diseases. A hepatologist also follows up with patients who have undergone a liver transplant process, as it is quite a tedious process that may lead to severe complications in some cases.

Medical Procedures that hepatologists perform

There are several procedures related to diagnosing ailments of the liver, gall bladder, biliary tree, or pancreas that are conducted by hepatologists, some of which are:

· Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography – This process is used to diagnose and treat many biliary and pancreatic diseases.

· Transhepatic pancreato-cholangiography – It uses an X-ray to detect obstructions in the bile ducts or the liver.

· Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt – It is a process that involves an artificial channel that is made to create a connection between the portal and hepatic veins.

Ailments for which you should consult with a hepatologist

· Liver-related diseases which are caused by excess intake of alcohol. This also involves cases of fatty liver disease, liver cirrhosis, and liver cancer.

· Viral hepatitis infections (hepatitis A, B, C, and E).

· Prevalent cases of drug overdose, especially paracetamol overdose

· Jaundice

· Gastrointestinal bleeding caused by hypertension which is linked to liver injury

· Enzyme defects causing liver enlargement in children, known as liver storage diseases

· Cases of tropical infections such as hydatid cyst, kala-azar or schistosomiasis

· Cases of liver transplantation

· Acute and advanced cases of liver cancer

· Genetic and metabolic liver diseases

· Pancreatitis, caused by alcohol consumption or gallstones

· Drug metabolism

· Damage to the pancreas or biliary tract caused by infections, cancer, alcohol, bleeding, or obstruction

A hepatologist can play a major role in helping you maintain the health of your liver, gall bladder, biliary tree, and pancreas.