Best Doctors in India for Alcoholic Hepatitis Treatment
- Kidney Transplant Surgeon, Chennai, India
- Over 50 years’ experience
- Apollo Hospitals Greams Road
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Joseph Thachill is one of the best kidney transplant surgeons in India.
- He has a record of having performed the Largest number of Transplants in the country.
- Due to his achievements, Dr. Joseph Thachill has also been awarded the Golden Richard’s Fellowship of Canada.
- He is also a member of the Canadian Urological Association as well as the American Urological Association.
- Nephrologist, New Delhi, India
- Over 22 years’ experience
- Max Super Specialty Hospital, Saket, New Delhi
Profile Highlights:
- He has served as Director of Nephrology & Renal Transplant Medicine at Max Healthcare and was previously the Director & HOD at Fortis Memorial Research Institute.
- Dr. Saurabh Pokhariyal is a distinguished nephrologist with a comprehensive background in nephrology and renal transplant medicine.
- He earned his MBBS, MD (Internal Medicine), and DNB in Nephrology from GSVM Medical College, Kanpur, and Sanjay Gandhi PGI, Lucknow, respectively.
- Top Urologist and Kidney Transplant Surgeon | Kokilaben Hospital, Mumbai, India
- 30+ Years Experience
- Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital
Profile Highlights:
- With over 30 years of experience, Dr. Bejoy Abraham has worked as a consultant at premier institutes such as CMC, Vellore, and Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge, UK.
- He has vast experience in kidney transplant, management of kidney stones, cancer conditions of the bladder, reconstructive urology, erectile dysfunction as well as Pediatric urology.
- Plastic & Cosmetic Surgeon, Gurugram, India
- 15+ years’ experience
- Artemis Hospital, Gurgaon
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Manik Sharma stands as a distinguished leader in the field of plastic surgery in the Delhi-NCR region.
- With a commitment to delivering high-quality, compassionate care, Dr. Sharma has built a reputation for excellence in both cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery.
- Dr. Sharma holds multiple qualifications, including an M.B.B.S., M.S., and M.Ch., and is a board-certified plastic surgeon.
- Nephrologist, Gurugram, India
- Over 18 years’ experience
- Medanta-The Medicity, Gurgaon
Profile Highlights:
- Currently working as Associate Director, Nephrology at Medanta, Gurugram; Dr. Jha has several years of rich experience in his field.
- His area of expertise is renal transplantation, hemodialysis, chronic kidney diseases, and acute kidney injury. Throughout his career, he has treated thousands of patients from all over the country and also provides his patients with the best medical care.
- Dr. Jha completed DNB Nephrology from Manipal Hospital; Bengaluru in 2011. He has wide experience in pre as well as post-transplant care.
- Top Neurosurgeon | Apollo Hospital, New Delhi, India
- 27+ Years Experience
- Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, New Delhi
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Pranav Kumar is one of the best Neurosurgeons in India, having a good success record of over 27 years in performing deep-rooted tumors in the skull.
- Since 1996, Dr. Kumar has been working as a senior consultant neurosurgeon at Apollo Hospital, New Delhi.
- Dr. Pranav Kumar is skilled in surgeries for brain tumors deep-seated at the base of the skull and aneurysms affecting the cerebrovascular system.
- Dr. Kumar specializes in performing the complex ‘Auditory Brainstem Implant,’ where a Bionic device is inserted in the brainstem to recover the hearing capacity in deaf patients who cannot be treated with a cochlear implant.
- He completed microsurgery training at the National Neurosurgical Centre at Beaumont Hospital in Ireland.
- Radiation Oncologist, Chennai, India
- Over 10 years’ experience
- Apollo Proton Cancer Centre
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Ashwathy Susan Mathew has been an eminent doctor hailing from the Department of Radiation Oncology Apollo Proton Cancer Centre, Chennai.
- She has performed extensive research in the diagnosis and treatment of Gastro-Intestinal Cancers and related metastasis.
- She has been awarded the Parvati Devi Gold Medal for Best Paper at the 34th Annual Conference of the Association of Radiation Oncologists of India.
- Top Obstetrician & Gynaecologist | Apollo Hospital, New Delhi, India
- 39+ Years Experience
- Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, New Delhi
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Madhu Roy is one of the leading Gynecologists and Obstetricians in India, practicing successfully for about 39 years. Dr. Roy practices at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital as a Senior Consultant.
- She assists patients by treating Uterine Fibroids, ovarian cysts, Endometriosis, Robotic Surgery, Subfertility, Pelvic Organ Prolapse, Gynecological Cancers, and any other conditions with her experience.
- Dr. Madhu Roy also provides counseling on contraception, medical termination of pregnancy, biopsies, laparoscopic surgery, and fertility preservation procedures.
- Dentist, Gurugram, India
- Over 20 years’ experience
- Fortis Memorial Research Institute
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Payal Nayar has been practicing dentistry for the pediatrics department for the last 20 years.
- She has expert hands in oral rehabilitation, pediatric root canals, orthodontic treatment, rampant caries, etc.
- She received Certification in the field of Prosthetic Dentistry from Smile India.
- Dentist, Gurugram, India
- Over 20 years’ experience
- Fortis Memorial Research Institute
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Vineet Ohri is one of those prominent dentists in India who has received special training in Endodontics.
- He has 20 years of experience in treating patients.
- Dr. Ohri worked in prominent hospitals like Indraprastha Apollo and Fortis Hospital, Vasant Kunj.
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.