Hepatology

Hepatology is a branch of medicine that deals with diagnosis, prevention, and management of diseases that affect the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas. A hepatologist is a specialist who treats and Diagnosis disorders of the liver, pancreas, gallbladder, and biliary tree.

most common ailments that are diagnosed and managed by a hepatologist include:

Diseases of the liver which includes fatty liver disease, liver cirrhosis and liver cancer, viral hepatitis infections (hepatitis A, B, C and E). More than two billion individuals have been infected with hepatitis B and Hepatitis c .  About 80% of liver cancers can be attributed to either hepatitis B or hepatitis C . With more worldwide implementation of vaccination and screening before blood transfusion, lower infection rates are expected in the upcoming days. All over the global the alcohol consumption is increasing, and consequently the number of people with cirrhosis and other related complications is increasing.

The  procedures of which a hepatologists are required to perform include the following:

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography , which is used to diagnose and treat many biliary gland and pancreatic diseases.

Transhepatic pancreato-cholangiography,  which is an X-ray  method used to detect obstruction in the bile ducts or liver.

Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt, is  an artificial channel  which is made to create a connection between the portal and hepatic veins.