Best Doctors in India for Wilson's Disease Treatment

Profile Highlights:

  • Dr. Selvakumar Naganathan is one of the best liver transplant surgeons in India with nearly 15 years of experience.
  • He has carried out more than 2000 procedures, including 300 donor & 500 recipient hepatectomies, cadaver transplantations, retrieval of cadaver livers, and live donor liver transplants.
  • He also established many liver transplantation centers across India & other countries.

Profile Highlights:

  • Dr. Raghunath K J is a well-known name in the field of general surgery with an experience of more than 27 years.
  • He went under training in advanced Laparoscopic surgery from Canada and France.
  • Dr. Raghunath pioneers many prestigious projects in the UK.
  • Dr. Raghunath has a specialized interest in Gall Bladder Stone treatment, Hernia, GI Cancer Surgery, Laparoscopic Sleeve Resection, Endoscopic Surgery, etc.

Profile Highlights:

  • Dr. Venkatesh Munikrishnan is one of the best Gastroenterologists and Colorectal Surgeons in Chennai, having 21 years of experience in managing disorders that need surgical treatment.
  • Dr. Munikrishnan specializes in surgical oncology, endoscopy, Gastritis Treatment, etc.
  • He is also active in research; one of his research on CT Colonography fetched a grant from Bracco, Milan, Italy.

Profile Highlights:

  • Dr. Amit Nath Rastogi is a pioneer in the field of liver transplant surgery. He completed his fellowship in liver transplant surgery at Sir Gangaram hospital while being a part of the largest liver transplant program in the country.
  • Furthermore, he received his training in robotic liver surgery from IRCAD -Strasbourg, France, and advanced robotic HPB training from Grosseto.

Profile Highlights:

  • Dr. Prashant Vilas Bhangui is one of the highly trained liver transplant specialists who received his training in Surgical Gastroenterology and Liver Transplantation.
  • He also holds a European Inter-University Diploma in Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Cancers.
  • Dr. Prashant is further interested to work in certain fields which include hepatocellular carcinoma, colorectal liver metastases, and living donor liver transplantation. Besides this, he has also published several journals on these subjects.

Profile Highlights:

  • Dr. Abhinandan Mishra is one of the young Gastroenterology doctors in Gurugram who is particularly interested in inflammatory bowel disease treatment.
  • Dr. Abhinandan Mishra offers Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography, Ascites tap, Endoscopy, Peroral Endoscopic Myotomy, Capsule Endoscopy, Esophageal Manometry, Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography, etc.

Profile Highlights:

  • Dr. Atul Sharma is a renowned Gastroenterology practitioner in Gurugram and is particularly interested in Third Space Endoscopy and Per Oral Endoscopic Myotomy (POEM).
  • He presented several papers on Manometry, Luminal gastroenterology, and interventional Gastroenterology during training in Advanced Interventional GI Endoscopy.

Profile Highlights:

  • Dr. Kapil Jamwal is a renowned GI practitioner in Gurugram with an extensive experience in digestive and liver disease.
  • The specialist offers treatment for Hepatitis B, Jaundice, Hepatitis C, Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome, Acute Pancreatitis, Liver Diseases, and Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Profile Highlights:

  • Dr. Rajesh Padhan is a renowned Gastroenterologist in Gurugram with an extensive experience of more than 18 years in the field.
  • He is skilled in carrying out various endoscopy procedures such as Colonoscopy, Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic ultrasound, upper GI endoscopy, etc.

Profile Highlights:

  • Dr. Sakshi Karkra is one of the best Pediatric gastroenterologists in Gurugram.
  • She has special interest/ expertise in Colonoscopy, Upper GI Endoscopy, Capsule endoscopy, Enteroscopy, Endoscopic variceal ligation, Foreign body removal, Stricture & achalasia dilatation, Polypectomy, Anal manometry, Liver Biopsy, and Colonic manometry.

Best Hospitals in India for Wilson's Disease Treatment

Wilson’s disease

Wilson’s disease is a rare inherited disorder which can cause copper to accumulate in your brain, liver, and other vital organs. Most people with this condition are diagnosed between the ages of 5 and 35, though it can sometimes even affect older people. The condition is known to affect 1 to 30,000 people worldwide.

In a healthy body, the liver filters out any excess copper and releases it through urine. However, in people having Wilson’s disease, the liver is unable to remove the extra copper properly. The extra copper then builds up in organs like the brain, the liver, and the eyes.

In order to stop the progression of the condition, early diagnosis is crucial. Delaying treatment or not receiving it, can lead to brain damage, liver failure, or other life-threatening conditions.

Symptoms

Wilson’s disease can be present at birth, but signs and symptoms generally appear only after the copper builds up in the brain, liver, or other organs. Signs and symptoms can vary depending on the parts of your body, which are affected by the condition.

Some of the symptoms can include:

  • Fatigue
  • A yellowing of the skin as well as the whites of the eye
  • Fluid buildup in the legs or abdomen
  • Golden-brown eye discoloration
  • Problem speaking or swallowing or physical coordination

 

If you experience any symptoms that worry you, you should consider seeing your doctor.

Causes

Wilson’s disease is inherited as an autosomal recessive trait. This means that in order to develop the disease, you must inherit a copy of the defective gene from each parent. If you receive only one of the genes, you will not get ill yourself, though you will become a carrier and can pass on the gene to your child.

You are at an increased risk of having this condition if your parents or siblings have it.

Diagnosis

Diagnosing Wilson’s disease can be a challenge. This is due to the fact that the signs and symptoms are quite hard to tell from those of other liver diseases, like hepatitis. Symptoms may evolve over time as well. Doctors can use a combination of symptoms and multiple test results to make and confirm a diagnosis.

Some of the tests and procedures that might be used include:

Blood and urine tests

Blood tests can help in monitoring your liver function as well as check the level of a protein that binds copper in the blood as well as the level of copper in your blood. Your doctor can also measure the amount of copper excreted in your urine during a period of 24 hours.

Biopsy

This method involves your doctor inserting a thin needle through your skin, into your liver. He/she draws a small sample of tissue that is tested in the laboratory for excess copper.

Eye exam

Eye test Image
With the help of a microscope having a high-intensity light source, i.e. a slit lamp, an ophthalmologist checks your eyes for Kayser-Fleischer rings, which is caused by too much copper in the eyes. Wilson’s disease is associated with a type of cataract as well, which is known as a sunflower cataract. It can be detected during an eye exam.

Genetic testing

A blood test can help to identify the genetic mutations that lead to Wilson’s disease. Knowing the mutations in your family can allow doctors to screen siblings and begin treatment before any kind of symptoms arise.

Treatment

First, your doctor might recommend medications that are known as chelating agents, which are able to bind copper and then prompt the organs to release it into your bloodstream. This copper is then filtered by the kidneys, after which it is then released into your urine.

Medications

There are various kinds of other medications that your doctor might recommend to relieve any symptoms.

 

Liver transplant

However, if your liver damage is quite severe, then you might need a liver transplant. A transplant involves your diseased liver being replaced by your surgeon, with a healthy liver from a donor.

Transplanted livers generally come from donors who have died. But sometimes, it can also come from a living donor, such as a family member. In such cases, the diseased liver is removed and replaced with a portion of the donor’s liver.

Complications

If left untreated, Wilson’s disease can be quite fatal. Some of the complications it can cause include-

  • Cirrhosis: As the liver cells try to repair any damage which was done by too much copper, scar tissue can form in the liver.
  • Liver Failure: This can occur suddenly, or may develop over the years slowly. A liver transplant might be a treatment option if so is the case.
  • Kidney problems: Wilson’s disease can damage your kidneys and lead to problems, such as kidney stones as well as an abnormal number of amino acids excreted in the urine.
  • Persistent neurological problems: Tremors, involuntary muscle movements, clumsy gait as well as speech difficulties generally improve with treatment for Wilson’s disease. Some people, however, suffer persistent neurological difficulty despite treatment.
  • Psychological problems: These can include personality changes, irritability, depression, bipolar disorder, or even psychosis.
  • Blood Problems: Blood problems may include the destruction of red blood cells or hemolysis, which can lead to anemia and jaundice.

Prevention

Although Wilson’s disease is not preventable, you can prevent the symptoms of the condition, if it is diagnosed early.

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