Best Doctors in India for Alcoholic Hepatitis Treatment
- Neurosurgeon, Mumbai, India
- Over 25 years’ experience
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Ashok Hande is a renowned neurosurgeon in Mumbai who holds the credit for 300 AVMs, 1400 skull base tumor surgeries, 3600 surgeries for cranial and spinal trauma, 1200 lumbar prolapsed intervertebral disc surgeries, 800 cerebral aneurysms, and more than 100 microvascular decompressions.
- He holds an experience encompassing 25+ years and holds the credit for pioneering neurosurgery in Mumbai by bringing in new and advanced neurosurgical procedures for brain and spine surgery.
- Neurosurgeon, Kolkata, India
- Over 25 years’ experience
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Asis Kumar Bhattacharyya holds an experience of 25+ years in Neurosurgery and finds interest in skull base surgery, vascular neurosurgery, neuro-oncology, and peripheral nerve surgery.
- Dr. Bhattacharyya’s primary area of focus lies in complex brain and spine surgeries and has received his training in the process from premier institutes in India, USA, and Canada. He is also experienced in minimally invasive and micro neurosurgery.
- Orthopedic Surgeon, Hyderabad, India
- Over 30 years’ experience
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. B N Prasad is a well-known Orthopedic Surgeon with over 3 decades of experience.
- Dr. B N Prasad is among the few surgeons in the country to specialize in both adult and pediatric orthopedics and has taken up numerous cases and treated patients with excellent outcomes.
- He provides diagnostic as well as surgical treatment for various types of orthopedic disorders such as arthritis and osteoporosis.
- Orthopedic Surgeon, Gurugram, India
- Over 40 years’ experience
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. B K Singh is one of the best Orthopedic Surgeons in India with experience encompassing over 4 decades.
- He holds the credit for over 5000 Arthroplasty procedures and is one of the few surgeons in India with expertise in Robotic Knee and Hip Replacement Surgeries.
- Dr. B K Singh received his training in Joint Replacement Surgery and Robotic Knee and Hip replacement procedures from India, UK, and Japan.
- IVF Specialist & Gynaecologist, Hyderabad, India
- Over 15 years’ experience
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Chandana Lakkireddi is renowned infertility and IVF specialist in Hyderabad with expertise in all kinds of assisted reproductive techniques and the management of infertility issues in both males and females.
- She has an extensive experience of 15+ years and finds interest in reproductive endocrinology, management of PCOS, implantation failure, recurrent failed cycles of IVF, miscarriage, endometriosis, and adenomyosis.
- Neurosurgeon, Mumbai, India
- Over 28 years’ experience
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Deepu Banerji is a leading name in the field of Neurosurgery in India and possesses extensive skills in minimally invasive and micro neurosurgery.
- He has been practicing neurosurgery for over 28 years and is counted among the best microscopic neurosurgeons in the country.
- Apart from minimally invasive surgeries, his expertise lies in skull base surgery, brain tumors surgery, vascular surgery, and spine surgeries, and has handled numerous cases of brain and spine diseases and disorders.
- Orthopedic Surgeon, Mumbai, India
- Over 22 years’ experience
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala is an Orthopedic Surgeon par excellence specializing in shoulder replacement and sports injuries surgeries.
- With several firsts to his name, he performed the first Reverse Shoulder Replacement surgery, the first Navigation guided ACL Repair and the first Autologous Chondrocyte Stem Cell Transplant in India.
- Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala introduced the Osteochondral Allograft Transfer and Transplant in India.
- Surgical Oncologist, Dwarka, New Delhi, India
- Over 20 years’ experience
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Durgatosh Pandey is a renowned Surgical Oncologist.
- He has over 20 years of experience in surgical oncology in top cancer institutes in India.
- He was the Director of Surgical Oncology at Artemis Hospital, Gurugram.
- Currently, he is the Head of Oncology Sciences & Consultant – Surgical Oncology at Manipal Hospitals, Dwarka, New Delhi.
- IVF Specialist & Gynaecologist, Chennai, India
- Over 10 years’ experience
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Erika Patel is a Consultant of Gynecology & Obstetrics in Chennai with experience in infertility treatment and ART.
- With several years of experience in the management of infertility and training in IVF, Dr. Patel works with the goal of making IVF and assisted reproduction highly successful in India.
- She has helped several couples in conceiving a baby without compromising on the quality and by following strict ethical conduct while maintaining complete transparency during the entire process.
- Cardiothoracic & Vascular Surgeon, Hyderabad, India
- Over 30 years’ experience
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. G Rama Subramanyam is a well-known cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon who specializes in open-heart surgery and has performed more than 5000 such procedures since 1997.
- He is also an expert in Minimally Invasive Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting and heart valve surgeries that includes over 200 Ischemic mitral valve repair surgeries and 100 myxomatous and Rheumatic mitral valve repair surgeries.
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.