Liver Disease Diagnosis, Management & Transplantation
The liver is the largest organ in the gastrointestinal
tract and it performs more than 100 separate
functions that keep us alive. Its complexity
also makes it susceptible to many different diseases.
Close cooperation
between Penn's gastroenterology and transplant
surgery divisions — as well as radiology,
pathology and other departments — ensures
a seamless experience for the patients we
treat. A highly skilled professional nursing
and technical staff further enhances our
ability to provide safe, effective care.
Our Services
Penn's liver
specialists provide state-of-the-art evaluation
and treatment for all types of liver and biliary
disorders including:
- Multidisciplinary assessment, treatment
and management for liver
disease and acute liver
injury
- Treatment and management of chronic viral
hepatitis, alcohol-related liver disease,
and acute liver injury
- Diagnosis and treatment for people with
complex liver disease, including: management
of intractable ascites, recurrent variceal
hemorrhage, hepatic
encephalopathy and hepatocellular
carcinoma
- Transhepatic intravascular portosystemic
shunt (TIPSS), performed by interventional
radiologists for complications of portal hypertension
Liver Transplantation
Patients with end-stage liver disease are referred
to the Penn Transplant
Institute for liver transplant
evaluation. Each year, more than 300 patients
are evaluated and Penn surgeons perform more
than 130 liver transplants, making it the largest
liver transplant program in the area and one
of the top 10 programs in the nation. In addition,
the success rates for liver transplantation at
Penn exceed the national averages.
Research
Penn physicians are also at the forefront of clinical
research and treatment of liver disease, including:
- Use of new medical therapies for chronic
hepatitis B and C
- New methods of immunosuppressive therapy
- Combination therapy for liver tumors, including
surgical resection, transplantation, chemotherapy
and chemoembolization
- Living related-donor program in collaboration
with the Children's
Hospital of Philadelphia
K.
Rajender Reddy, MD, director of
hepatology, is a principal investigator in a
National Institutes of Health study testing the
use of silymarin in treating chronic liver disease.
Over 50 percent of patients with chronic hepatitis
C infection (HCV) are either ineligible or do
not respond to traditional interferon-based therapies.
Silymarin is reportedly beneficial as an anti-inflammatory,
anti-oxidant and anti-fibrogenic in some patients.
Locations
This program is available at the following locations:
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
3400 Spruce Street
Dulles Building, 3rd Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Driving Directions
Penn Medicine at Radnor
250 King of Prussia Road
Radnor, PA 19087
Driving Directions
Penn Transplant Institute - Liver Program
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
3400 Spruce Street
Rhoads Building, Ground Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Driving Directions
Preparing for Appointments and Procedures
Are you scheduled for a first-time consultation
with a gastroenterologist at Penn? Save time
at the doctor's office by completing your registration
and medical history forms in advance.
Digestive System Illustration
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