Chronic liver disease and its Treatment by Liver Transplant Surgeon Prof. Dr. Mohamed Rela

Mohamed Rela is serving as a director at Dr. Rela Institute and Medical center, Chennai. He is a renowned surgeon who is known for his expertise in liver transplantation and hepatic pancreato biliary (HPB) surgery. With an experience of more than 31 years, he has performed more than 3000 liver transplant surgeries. His achievements include successful liver transplantation of a five-day-old and a four-and-a-half-year-old girl, which made him recognized in the Guinness Book of Records in 2000. He carried out the first Liver Transplant on a patient with acute Liver Failure in the UK. He was amongst the esteemed participants of a team from King's College Hospital, London which did liver transplant(s) six times for a patient to save her life. His research interest lies in the field of liver regeneration. It focuses on harnessing its potential in making liver surgery safer for liver donors, liver recipients, and patients with advanced liver tumors. His specialization includes Chronic Liver Specialist, Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic, and Liver transplant.

Liver Disease

The liver is located just under your rib cage on the right side of your abdomen is essential for digesting food and ridding your body of toxic substances. Liver disease can either be inherited or can be caused by a variety of factors such as viruses, alcohol use, and obesity. Conditions that damage the liver can result in scarring which can lead to liver failure. Timely treatment may give the liver time to heal.

Symptoms

·              Yellowish skin and eyes

·              Abdominal pain and swelling

·              Nausea or vomiting

·              Loss of appetite

·              Tendency to bruise easily

·              Swelling in the legs and ankles

·              Itchy skin

·              Dark urine

·              Pale stool

·              Chronic fatigue

Causes

Infection

The liver can be infected by parasites and viruses, causing inflammation that reduces liver function. The viruses can be spread through blood or semen, contaminated food or water, or close contact with an infected person. Some common types of liver infection are hepatitis viruses, including:

·              Hepatitis A

·              Hepatitis B

·              Hepatitis C

Immune system abnormality

The liver can be affected by diseases in which your immune system attacks certain parts of your body. For example

·              Autoimmune hepatitis

·              Primary biliary cholangitis

·              Primary sclerosing cholangitis

Genetics

An abnormal gene inherited from one or both of the parents can lead to various substances to build up in your liver. Such diseases include:

·              Hemochromatosis

·              Wilson's disease

·              Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency

Cancer and other growths

·              Liver cancer

·              Bile duct cancer

·              Liver adenoma

Risk factors

·              Injecting drugs using shared needles

·              Blood transfusion before 1992

·              Exposure to blood and body fluids of others

·              Unprotected sex

·              Exposure to certain chemicals or toxins

·              Family history of liver disease

·              Heavy alcohol use

·              Obesity

·              Type 2 diabetes

·              Tattoos or body piercings

Take Away

Liver disease can be prevented by having moderate alcohol, avoid risky behavior like having tattoos or body piercings. Adopt cleanliness and seek help if you use illicit intravenous drugs. Get vaccinated for hepatitis. Use medications wisely and take prescription and non-prescription drugs only when needed. For best treatment contact Dr. Mohamed Rela at Dr. Rela Institute and Medical Centre, Chennai.