Liver

It means you have a condition that causes scar tissue to gradually replace your healthy liver cells. It usually happens over a long period of time because of infection or alcohol addiction. There may be no symptoms initially but as time goes on, and the damage to the liver gets worse the patient may notice fatigue and weakness, lack of appetite, weight loss, nausea, vomiting, severe muscle cramps, brownish urine, fever, bruising easily, swelling in the legs, changes in the skin like jaundice, whitening of nails, concentration or memory issues, in case of a woman menstrual cycle changes, in case of men changes in physical appearance.

Portal hypertension is abnormally high blood pressure in the portal vein, which supplies the liver with blood from the intestine. Portal hypertension may be due to increased blood pressure in the portal blood vessels, or resistance to blood floor through the liver. The increase in pressure can be due to a blockage in the blood flow through the liver. Portal hypertension can lead to the growth of new blood vessels (called collaterals) that connect blood flow from the intestine to the general circulation, bypassing the liver.   When this occurs, substances that are normally removed by the liver pass into the general circulation. Symptoms of portal hypertension may include:

• Ascites - fluid build-up in the abdominal cavity
• Bleeding of the varicose veins at the lower end of the esophagus and in the stomach lining

The effects of portal hypertension can be managed through diet, medications, endoscopic therapy, surgery, or radiology. Once the bleeding episode has been stabilized, treatment options are prescribed based on the severity of the symptoms and on how well your liver is functioning. When the patient is first diagnosed with variceal bleeding, you may be treated with endoscopic therapy or medications. In case the medication does not help, one of the following decompression procedures to reduce the pressure in these veins is used:

Liver failure happens gradually, over many years. It is the final stage of many liver diseases. But a rarer condition known as acute liver failure happens rapidly (in as little as 48 hours) and can be difficult to detect at first.

Liver failure happens when large parts of the liver become damaged beyond repair and the liver can’t work anymore.

There are two types of live failure:

The causes are: Hepatitis B, hepatitis C, long term alcohol consumption, hemochromatosis (This inherited disorder causes your body to absorb and store too much iron. It can build up in your liver and cause cirrhosis), hepatitis A, autoimmune hepatitis, cirrhosis, primary sclerosing cholangitis (Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a long-term progressive disease of the liver and gallbladder characterized by inflammation and scarring of the bile ducts which normally allow bile to drain from the gallbladder.), oxalosis, Wilson’s disease, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (This genetic condition can lead to lung or liver disease.), liver cancer, liver adenoma, fatty liver disease, Alagille syndrome (A genetic disorder that results in fewer bile ducts than normal in the liver), Lysosomal acid lipase deficiency (LAL-D, With this genetic condition, the patient cannot produce an enzyme called lysosomal acid lipase (LAL), which helps body break down fats and cholesterol in cells. As a result, fats stay in the liver and cause damage).

• Stage 1: Inflammation. In the early stages, the liver will be inflamed and could be tender or it may not bother the patient at all.
• Stage 2: Fibrosis/scarring:  Inflammation leads to scarring. As scar tissue builds up in the liver, it stops blood flow, which keeps the healthy parts from doing their job and makes them work harder.
• Stage 3: Cirrhosis: The scar tissue takes over, and with less and less healthy tissue to do its job and liver functions are affected or the liver stops functioning.
• Stage 4: End-stage liver failure/disease: This is an umbrella term for several conditions, including swollen liver, internal bleeding, loss of kidney function, fluid in your belly, and lung problems. Only a liver transplant can cure it.

• Max Hospital 
• Medanta Hospital
• ILBS
• Rela Institute of Liver Disease & Transplantation (RILDT) Chennai
• Indraprastha apollo hospitals
• Aster medical hospital

The cost of a liver transplant can range anywhere between 20 - 25 lakhs. This includes the pre-transplant evaluation, the surgery itself and the post-surgery recovery period. There are certain factors that affect the cost of an organ transplant.

Treatment options might include ablation, embolization, or both for the liver tumor. Other options may include targeted therapy, immunotherapy, chemotherapy (either systemic or by hepatic artery infusion), and/or radiation therapy.

Any liver cancer is difficult to cure. Primary liver cancer is rarely detectable early, when it is most treatable. Secondary or metastatic liver cancer is hard to treat because it has already spread. The liver's complex network of blood vessels and bile ducts makes surgery difficult.

The most common risk factor for liver cancer is chronic (long-term) infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV). These infections lead to cirrhosis of the liver and are responsible for making liver cancer the most common cancer in many parts of the world.

• MEDANTA THE MEDICITY, GURGAON.
• KOKILABEN DHIRUBHAI AMBANI HOSPITAL, MUMBAI.
• INDRAPRASTHA APOLLO HOSPITAL, NEW DELHI.
• FORTIS ESCORTS HEART INSTITUTE NEW DELHI.
• FORTIS HEALTHCARE, MULUND.
• FORTIS MEMORIAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE, GURGAON.
• ARTEMIS HOSPITAL, GURGAON.
• MANIPAL HOSPITALS.

• Skin and eyes that appear yellowish (jaundice)
• Abdominal pain and swelling
• Swelling in the legs and ankles
• Itchy skin
• Dark urine color
• Pale stool color
• Chronic fatigue
• Nausea or vomiting
• Loss of appetite
• Tendency to bruise easily

The most common causes are hepatitis and other viruses, and alcohol abuse. Other medical problems can also cause it. The damage to the liver usually can't be reversed.

• Alanine transaminase (ALT). ...
• Aspartate transaminase (AST). ...
• Alkaline phosphatase (ALP). ...
• Albumin and total protein. ...
• Bilirubin. ...
• Gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT). ...
• L-lactate dehydrogenase (LD). ...
• Prothrombin time (PT).

The ALT and AST tests measure enzymes that your liver releases in response to damage or disease. The albumin test measures how well the liver creates albumin, while the bilirubin test measures how well it disposes of bilirubin. ALP can be used to evaluate the bile duct system of the liver.

Hepatitis refers to an inflammatory condition of the liver. It's commonly caused by a viral infection, but there are other possible causes of hepatitis. These include autoimmune hepatitis and hepatitis that occurs as a secondary result of medications, drugs, toxins, and alcohol.

The liver is a critical organ for many bodily functions. Interference with the liver function results in excessive bleeding, jaundice, sensitivity to the effects of drugs, and toxic effects on the brain (encephalopathy)

Chronic liver failure, also called end-stage liver disease (ESLD), progresses over months, years, or decades. Most often, chronic liver failure is the result of cirrhosis, a condition in which scar tissue replaces healthy liver tissue until the liver cannot function adequately.

The liver is a highly regenerative organ and can totally regenerate itself from a small piece of itself. But sometimes the damage that occurs is extensive and hence the reversal becomes almost impossible. Sometimes the liver gets overwhelmed and can't repair itself completely, especially if it's still under attack from a virus, drug, or alcohol.

Alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD) is caused by damage to the liver from years of excessive drinking. Years of alcohol abuse can cause the liver to become inflamed and swollen. This damage can also cause scarring known as cirrhosis. Cirrhosis is the final stage of liver disease.

Fatty liver disease (FLD), also known as hepatic steatosis, is a condition where excess fat builds up in the liver. Often there are no or few symptoms. Occasionally there may be tiredness or pain in the upper right side of the abdomen. Complications may include cirrhosis, liver cancer, and esophageal varices.

The liver is a unique organ. It is the only organ in the body that is able to regenerate. With most organs, such as the heart, the damaged tissue is replaced with scar, like on the skin

Factors that may increase your risk of liver disease include: Heavy alcohol use. Obesity. Type 2 diabetes. Viral infections

Liver transplantation is a surgical procedure performed to remove a diseased or injured liver from one person and replace it with a whole or a portion of a healthy liver from another person, called the donor.

There is a small risk of death for the donor: this is estimated at 1 person in every 200 (for right lobe donation) or 1 in 500 (for left lobe donation). Most complications are minor and include infections (e.g. chest, wound or urine) and, rarely, bleeding, bile leaks or blood clots.

Living-donor liver transplant

Surgeons first operate on the donor, removing the portion of the liver for transplant. Then surgeons remove your diseased liver and place the donated liver portion in your body. They then connect your blood vessels and bile ducts to the new liver.

Cirrhosis can be caused by a number of conditions, including long-standing inflammation, poisons, infections, and heart disease. For 30-50% of cirrhosis cases, no cause can be found.

The cirrhotic process can take from weeks to many years to develop, depending on the underlying cause and other factors, including patient response to the disease process. For example, chronic hepatitis C infection can take up to 40 years to progress to cirrhosis in some people.

Stages of liver failure

• Inflammation. In this early stage, the liver is enlarged or inflamed.
• Fibrosis. Scar tissue begins to replace healthy tissue in the inflamed liver.
• Cirrhosis. Severe scarring has built up, making it difficult for the liver to function properly.
• End-stage liver disease (ESLD). ...
• Liver cancer