Avoiding alcohol and eating healthy food are preventive measures
50-60 per cent of people with liver problems in the state are affected due to alcoholism, while Hepatitis B and C virus also play a part in affecting the organ. (PHoto: AP)
Chennai: Around 50-60 per cent of people with liver problems in the state are affected due to alcoholism, while Hepatitis B and C virus also play a part in affecting the organ, according to hepatologists in the city. Liver problem due to diabetes is also on the rise, say doctors.
Dr Anand, consultant gastrointestinal surgeon, Nova Specialty Hospital, “Chronic liver diseases are caused by hepatitis B viral infection, alcoholism, metabolic syndrome and non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases.
Though chronic disease is common, acute liver failure due to jaundice is also one of the causes for liver damage.
“Clean habits, avoiding alcohol consumption and healthy food are the preventive measures,” said Dr K. Narayanasamy, HoD, Department of Hepatology, Rajiv Gandhi government general hospital. He added that practising unclean lifestyle would make the liver shrunk, affecting its normal functions of segregating nutrients and toxins from the food.
As the organ shrinks, the fluids enter the stomach, leading to bloating of the abdomen and legs. The blood vessels are affected, and they expand and burst. In this case, the patient vomits blood.
Other conditions like liver inflammation, liver failure and liver cancer also requires transplantation, he explained.
Hepatalogists said a person is referred for transplantation only after MELD (model for end stage liver disease) test, a scoring system to assess the severity of the liver disease. If the score is 18, liver transplantation should be done immediately. The person is registered for transplantation as soon as the score is 10, as it becomes necessary for the person in this stage.
“The patient is then tested for his/her fitness to withstand surgery and normal functioning of other organs in the body, besides giving psychological support,” said Dr Narayanasamy.
“As the blood vessels are also affected in these patients, disconnecting the vessels and removing the damaged liver needs expertise and here lies the challenge. Otherwise, the patient could keep bleeding, as the factor in the body is such and blood may not clot,” said Dr Shanmugam, surgical gastroenterology, RGGGH.
“Life expectancy is better in liver transplant than other transplants. Out of 100 transplant procedures, 90 per cent of the people live for five years,” said Dr Shanmugam.
“The receiver is out of danger if he/she is isolated and not affected by other infections up to 10 days after surgery. The organ is replaced with a new one in the same area, unlike kidney transplant, where the third kidney is kept in some other place”While harvesting the damaged liver alone takes two hours, the total surgery time could take over six hours,” said the Head of Department, Department of Medical Gastroe nterology, Stanley Medical Hospital.
( Source : dc )
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