What to Expect at the Center for Liver Diseases

Our liver doctors, or hepatologists, are experts in caring for people with liver disease at all stages, from the early stages of liver complications to more advanced liver disease.

Liver disease can progress quickly. At the UPMC Center for Liver Diseases, our experts are dedicated to diagnosing and treating your liver disease as soon as possible.

Making an Appointment for Liver Care

To start the process for an appointment at the UPMC Center for Liver Diseases, you will either be referred by your doctor, or you may contact us directly.

How soon you'll have an appointment depends on:

• The symptoms you're having.
• Any special care your doctor thinks you might need.
• Your overall health.

You might be scheduled for an office appointment right away. You might also have a consult or visit through telemedicine.

Tests We Use to Diagnose Liver Disease

Learning more about the health of your liver is the first step to diagnosing your liver diseases. To gather this data, your doctor will help you with certain diagnostic tests.

These tests might include:

• Blood tests to tell us how your liver is working.
• A non-invasive scan that checks your liver health.
• Endoscopic ultrasound, which uses a thin, flexible tube to take pictures of your liver to help your doctor learn about its condition.
• A biopsy, which tests the liver's tissue.

Sometimes, your doctor will order more tests to learn more about your liver health. Some of these tests diagnose and treat liver disease at the same time.

What To Expect If You Need Liver Disease Treatment

Many conditions can affect the health of your liver:

• Autoimmune liver diseases
• Chronic liver diseases
• Cirrhosis or scarring of the liver
• Genetic liver diseases

But people with liver disease also have many treatment options. Your doctor will design your treatment based on:

• Your liver's health
• The stage of your liver disease
• Your basic health

Treatment plans might include:

• Improving your diet
• Getting regular exercise to stay at a healthy weight
• Taking medicine, such as antiviral drugs to fight infection or water pills to reduce fluids

If you have end-stage liver disease, or liver failure, your doctor might talk with you about a liver transplant. This surgery takes a healthy liver, or part of a liver, from a living or deceased donor and uses it to replace your damaged liver.

Your doctor will talk with you about your options for liver disease treatment.

You can expect your care team to:

• Partner with you to care for your liver disease
• Suggest any lifestyle changes you should make
• Work closely with other experts at UPMC to provide comprehensive care

Why Choose UPMC for Liver Disease Care?

Our experts at the UPMC Center for Liver Diseases can treat any disease of the liver. We will work with you to treat your illness and improve your quality of life.

Our liver specialists:

• Tailor your care to meet your unique needs, no matter the severity of your illness
• Lead the way in liver research and care, bringing hope and the latest treatments to those we treat
• Work with experts in the UPMC Liver Transplant Program and the UPMC Liver Cancer Center to provide seamless care for you and your needs

Contact the UPMC Center for Liver Diseases

• Call 1-412-647-1170 to make an appointment.
• Email the UPMC Center for Liver Diseases.