Chronic liver disease is on the rise in India, and if not managed well in the initial stages will progress to advanced cirrhosis and transplant will be inevitable. Knowledge of preventing progression of liver disease is important and includes limited use of alcohol, active life style and decreasing weight and good control of Diabetes. However, in spite of all efforts, liver disease will progress and the only treatment then is a liver transplant operation. Sometimes primary liver cancer will develop in the diseased liver and this will precipitate an urgent need for transplant.
liver transplant treatment involves replacing the damaged liver of the patient with a healthy liver from a donor. The need for liver transplant is present when there is massive accumulation of fluid in the abdomen, episodic loss of consciousness, or frequent gastrointestinal bleeding not amenable to endoscopic treatment. In such cases, one mustlook for the best liver transplant hospital in India and get the treatment from best doctors. Under the following situations, liver transplantation is inevitable.
1. Chronic Viral Hepatitis, B, C, D
Inflammation of liver due to viral infection is called viral hepatitis. Among the five unrelated hepatotropic viruses that cause viral hepatitis, Hepatitis B, C, and D specifically infect the liver causing a chronic damage in the process. Hepatitis B is treated by either Entecavir and Tenofovir in the initial stages but after decompensation liver transplant remains the only hope for the patients suffering from the end-stage liver diseases. Hepatitis C can be treated effectively with antiviral drugs such as Sovaldi.
2. Non-Alcoholic Fatty liver Disease (NAFlD)
Another condition that can only be cured by the liver transplantation surgery, is Non-Alcoholic Fatty liver Disease or NAFlD is one of the leading reasons for liver failure across the world. As the name suggests, this disease occurs due to the storage of excess fat in the cells due to causes other than alcohol abuse. If this potentially serious illness keeps progressing then, it leads to severe scarring of the liver which is irreversible. In such a case, liver transplantation remains the only left option for the patients to treat their condition.
3. Primary Biliary Cirrhosis
This is caused by the liver scarring due to blockage in the bile duct, and the cirrhosis is due to an autoimmune disease in which the body acts against itsown cells. It gradually causes swelling, cell death, and loss of function in the liver. One can slow the progressionof this condition if he/sheis diagnosedatan early stage. Towards the end, liver damage leads to full blown cirrhosis with all its sequelae. Once decompensation occurs, liver transplant is the only solution.
4. liver Cancer
This is also known as hepatic cancer and can be single or multiple. Most forms of cirrhosis will lead to liver cancer and therefore anyone with chronic liver disease should undergo periodic screening with an ultrasound examination of the liver and by a blood test called AFP. Screening is more important than waiting for symptoms to develop. If screening for cancer has not been done at regular intervals, the cancer will be detected at a stage where treatment is impossible. Cancers picked up by screening can be treated by a variety of ways which include percutaneous ablation, surgical resection and transplantation.
5. Acute liver Failure
Thisis an uncommon condition in which a previously healthy patient develops jaundicewhich is followed by altered behavior and then goes in to coma. Most causes of Acute liver Failure in India are from viral fevers such as hepatitis A, B, and E. Sometimes the cause of viral fever is unknown and is never found. Some cases will occur with paracetamol overdose especially if the person also consumes excessive alcohol. Many of these patients will recover by medical treatment but some will need dialysis and those who fail this treatment or there is major brain swelling will need an urgent liver transplant operation.
After liver transplant, one should maintain a healthy lifestyle and take the prescribed medications regularly. However, it isbest to prevent the development of liver disease by choosing a healthy lifestyle andby regular health check-up from hospitals like Max Healthcare that can help you in leading a hale and hearty life.