Best Doctors in India for Alcoholic Hepatitis Treatment
- Liver Transplant Surgeon & HPB Surgeon, Gurugram, India
- Over 15 years’ experience
- Artemis Hospital, Gurgaon
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Giriraj Singh Bora is a liver transplant surgeon, who is known for being the founding member of the Liver Transplant Society of India.
- He is the first doctor to perform a liver transplantation in Rajasthan. He is also known for carrying out the first deceased donor and the first living donor liver transplants in Rajasthan and has also been instrumental in starting a liver transplant program in the region.
- Top ENT Surgeon | Apollo Hospital, New Delhi, India
- 30+ Years Experience
- Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, New Delhi
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Kalpana Nagpal is an ENT/Otorhinolaryngologist in India with extensive expertise. She has nearly three decades of experience in performing Microscopic and Endoscopic Surgeries for sinus infections, sebaceous cysts, epistaxis, tonsillitis, and otoplasty.
- Presently, Dr. Nagpal is a senior consultant for ENT at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital. She treats patients with congenital ear problems, orbital and optic nerve decompression, and tonsillectomy in both children and adults. Her area of expertise is endoscopic procedures in ENT / Otorhinolaryngologist, tumors of the Head & Neck, Robotic surgeries for snoring disorders, early throat cancers and scarless thyroid surgeries.
- Top Medical Oncologist | Apollo Hospital, New Delhi, India
- 15+ Years Experience
- Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, New Delhi
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Dipanjan Panda is one of the well-known medical oncologists in India, having 15 years of expertise in treating bone and soft tissue cancers and gastrointestinal cancers.
- He is credited with starting the country’s first anticancer departments and PDCC program. Dr. Panda developed a medical oncology unit at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital in New Delhi, in association with the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences. He is currently working at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital in New Delhi as a Senior Consultant, Medical Oncology.
- Dr. Panda has written twenty peer-reviewed papers in national and international journals. He has presented numerous talks at global forums.
- Top Gastroenterologist | Max Hospital, Saket, New Delhi, India
- 33+ Years Experience
- Max Super Specialty Hospital, Saket, New Delhi
Profile Highlights:
- With over 33 years of distinguished experience in Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Endoscopy, Dr. Vivek Raj stands as a leading expert in his field.
- Currently serving as the Principal Director and Head of Department at Max Healthcare, he has dedicated the last 20 years to advancing clinical practices in Gastroenterology.
- Dr. Raj’s specialty interests encompass a range of advanced gastroenterological procedures and conditions, including Therapeutic ERCP, Endoscopic Ultrasound, Hepatology (with a focus on Hepatitis B and C), Gastrointestinal Motility, Capsule Endoscopy, Endoscopic Surgery, and Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
- Orthopedic & Spine Surgeon, Chennai, India
- Over 33 years’ experience
- Apollo Hospitals Greams Road
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Sajan K Hegde is a highly regarded Spine Surgeon in India who is presently serving as a Senior Consultant Spine Surgeon at both Apollo Cancer Centre and Apollo Hospital, Greams Road in Chennai.
- With over 30 years of experience, he specializes in advanced treatments for spinal deformities, spondylolisthesis, and spinal tuberculosis.
- Dr. Hegde is a pioneer in robotic-assisted spine surgery across the Asia-Pacific and is the only surgeon in India to perform non-fusion scoliosis correction techniques.
- His expertise encompasses a wide range of spinal conditions and advanced surgical procedures like spinal fusion, discectomy, laminectomy, and vertebroplasty.
- Top Bariatric & Laparoscopic Surgeon | Max Hospital, Saket, New Delhi, India
- 20+ Years Experience
- Max Super Specialty Hospital, Saket, New Delhi
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Ashish Vashishtha is one of the most reputable Bariatric and Laparoscopic surgeons in India who has over 20 years of experience in his field.
- He has performed over 100 bariatric surgeries in his career so far and is proficient in Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass, Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy, Laparoscopic Mini Gastric Bypass, and Revision surgeries. Apart from his medical performance.
- Top Orthopedic Surgeon | Kokilaben Hospital, Mumbai, India
- 24+ Years Experience
- Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Shreyash Gajjar is one of the most accomplished Arthroscopic and Sports Orthopedic surgeons in India and has performed more than 3000 surgeries of which more than 2500 included arthroscopic surgeries.
- Dr. Shreyash Gajjar is the first orthopedic surgeon in India to perform several first surgeries with the use of arthroscopic procedures.
- Dr. Shreyash Gajjar received his training in Arthroscopy, Trauma, and Sports Medicine from the best orthopedic institutions and under the guidance of renowned surgeons in India, UK, and Australia.
- Associate Director Endocrinology & Diabetology, Gurugram, India
- Over 10 years’ experience
- Medanta-The Medicity, Gurgaon
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Parjeet Kaur is an expert in treating patients with endocrine disorders, especially, diabetes, thyroid, and parathyroid disorders, PCOS, and obesity.
- Dr. Parjeet Kaur is being actively involved in extensive research and practice of Endocrinology and the sub specialties.
- Neurosurgeon, Gurugram, India
- 20 + years’ experience
- Medanta-The Medicity, Gurgaon
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Sudhir Dubey is a distinguished neurosurgeon with an illustrious career spanning decades, marked by groundbreaking contributions to the field of neurosurgery.
- As the Chairman of Neurosurgery at Medanta, Gurugram, Dr. Dubey has performed over 10,000 neurosurgical operations, solidifying his reputation as one of the foremost experts in the field.
- Dr. Dubey’s academic journey is as impressive as his clinical achievements. He graduated with top honors from King George’s Medical College, where he was awarded the prestigious Sir Rupkishan Das Gold Medal in his final year of MBBS.
- Top Ophthalmologist | Max Hospital, Saket, New Delhi, India
- 20+ Years Experience
- Max Super Specialty Hospital, Saket, New Delhi
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Nikhil Pal did a vitreoretinal fellowship from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA.
- As a Senior resident, Dr. Nikhil Pal has independently performed various basic as well as advanced Vitreoretinal surgeries including retinal detachment, vitreous hemorrhage, macular hole, dropped nucleus removal, and gained expertise in medical retina involving Fluorescein angiography/Lasers for diabetic retinopathy, ARMD, vasculitis, ROP and Phacoemulsification cataract surgery among others.
Best Hospitals in India for Alcoholic Hepatitis Treatment
ALCOHOLIC HEPATITIS
Alcoholic hepatitis is a liver infection, which is mainly caused by frequent, heavy use of alcohol. Fat can build up in the liver cells, which might lead to inflammation as well as scarring of the liver.
Alcoholic hepatitis might be mild or severe. A patient might even need a liver transplant if proper treatment is not provided, or if they don’t stop consumption of alcohol.
It is also notable that all heavy drinkers don’t develop this condition, and sometimes this condition even develops in people who drink moderately. However, if you are diagnosed with this condition, it is important for you to quit drinking alcohol. People who continue drinking alcohol might face a huge risk of serious liver damage as well as death.
Symptoms
Depending on the amount of damage to the liver, the symptoms can vary. If you are having a mild form of the disease, you might not even experience any symptoms at all. However, as the damage continues to grow, you might experience the following:
- Changes in appetite
- Dry mouth
- Weight loss
- Pain or swelling in the abdomen
- Jaundice, or yellowing of the skin or eyes
- Fever
- Nausea and vomiting
- Easy bleeding or bruising
- Changes in your mental state, including confusion
- Fatigue
The symptoms of this condition are similar to those caused by a few other health conditions. Therefore, if you develop any of these symptoms, it is best to get a proper diagnosis as well as begin treatment.
Causes & risk factors
Alcoholic hepatitis generally develops when the alcohol you drink causes damage to your liver. However, it is not clear why alcohol does this damages only to some heavy drinkers.
Few factors that are known to play a role in this condition include:
- The body’s process that breaks down alcohol produces some toxic chemicals
- These chemicals can trigger inflammation that can destroy the liver cells
- Thus, over time, scars replace healthy liver tissue, thus interfering with the function of the liver
- This irreversible scarring, which is also termed cirrhosis, is the final stage of alcoholic liver disease
If you have hepatitis C and continue to drink, even moderately, you are more likely to develop cirrhosis.
Some heavy drinkers are also malnourished because they don’t eat a proper balanced diet. Alcohol and its byproducts also prevent the body from absorbing nutrition properly. Lack of nutrition can contribute to liver cell damage.
Some other risk factors that can lead to this condition include:
- Your sex- Women are usually at a higher risk of developing alcoholic hepatitis since the way alcohol is processed in women is different.
- Binge drinking- Having over five drinks within two hours for men and four or more for women can increase the risk of alcoholic hepatitis.
- Obesity- Heavy drinkers who are overweight are also more likely to develop alcoholic hepatitis and to progress from that condition to cirrhosis.
- Race and ethnicity- Hispanic and Negroid people might be at higher risk of alcoholic hepatitis.
- Genetic factors- According to studies, there may be a genetic component in alcohol-induced liver disease. However, it is difficult to separate genetic and environmental factors.
Diagnosis
If you are showing symptoms of alcoholic hepatitis, your doctor will first inquire about your medical history and alcohol consumption. Next, he/she will perform a physical exam to see if you have an enlarged liver or spleen. They might also need a few more tests to confirm your diagnosis, such as:
- Complete blood count (CBC)
- Liver function test
- Ultrasound of the liver
- Abdominal CT scan
- Blood clotting tests
In some cases, a liver biopsy might also be needed to confirm the diagnosis of alcoholic hepatitis. A liver biopsy requires your doctor to remove a tissue sample from your liver, which is then tested in the lab. This method helps to show the severity and type of liver disease.
Treatment
Stopping alcohol consumption is the most important treatment for alcoholic hepatitis. There is no cure for this condition, but treatment can help in reducing or eliminating symptoms, or stopping its progression.
It is also important to note that scarring of the liver is permanent, but treatment can aim to restore as much function as possible.
Dietary changes
Your doctor might also recommend dietary changes, vitamin supplements, or a focused diet plan to correct the imbalance of nutrients in the body.
Medication
Doctors might also prescribe medicines to prevent inflammation of the liver.
Liver transplant
In severe cases, the only chance for survival may be a liver transplant. Unfortunately, in such cases, the process of finding a donor can be long and complicated.
The best hope of recovery is to be aware of the signs and symptoms as well as to reduce, manage, or if possible, completely stop consumption of alcohol.
Complications
Alcoholic hepatitis might lead to severe other complications such as:
- Enlarged veins (varices)- In this condition, blood that is unable to flow freely through the portal vein, can back up into other blood vessels in your esophagus or stomach.
- Hepatic encephalopathy- This condition can be caused by the buildup of toxins if your damaged liver is unable to remove all the toxins from your body. It involves confusion, drowsiness, and slurred speech.
- Ascites- Ascites is a condition in which the fluid that accumulates in the abdomen may get infected and thus, require treatment with antibiotics. Although this condition is not life-threatening, it can be a sign of advanced alcoholic hepatitis, or cirrhosis.
- Kidney failure- A damaged liver affects blood flow to the kidneys, thus resulting in kidney failure.
- Cirrhosis- The scarring of the liver might lead to liver failure.
Prevention
Alcoholic hepatitis might be prevented if you take the following steps:
- Drink alcohol in moderation, if at all- For healthy adults, moderate drinking means no more than one drink a day for women of all ages and men older than 65, and not over two drinks a day for men aged 65 and younger. However, if you prevent all alcohol, it is a certain way to prevent this condition.
- Check before mixing medications and alcohol- Ask your doctor if it’s safe to drink alcohol while you are taking medications. Consider reading the warning labels on over-the-counter medications as well. Don’t drink alcohol when you are taking medications that warn of complications when combined with alcohol.
- Protect yourself from hepatitis C- Hepatitis C is an infectious liver disease that is caused by a virus. If it is left untreated, it may lead to cirrhosis. If you are having hepatitis C and you consume alcohol, you’re generally more likely to develop cirrhosis than if you don’t drink.