When Should You See A Liver Specialist?

The liver is an organ located on the right side of the upper quadrant of the torso, it is behind the lower right side rib cage. This organ functions in a way that it removes many toxins from the body and digestive system, and what it does not filter out is then removed through other body systems such as the nephrons in the kidneys. Liver disease can be inherited from the family, or it can be brought on by external damages created by alcohol abuse, bacteria, viruses, and obesity.

Symptoms to be mindful of with liver disease include but are not limited to, jaundice which is when the skin and white of the eyes become yellow, swelling in the abdomen, pain in the abdomen, itchy skin, swelling of the lower extremities (legs), constant tiredness, pale stool and dark colored urine. If you experience these symptoms and they last longer than a day it is recommended to make an appointment with your primary care doctor, and they will be able to refer you to a specialist to aid in the treatment of liver disease.

Liver specialists, medically known as Hepatologists, are doctors who did additional training in the functions of the liver. Since the liver is a part of a body system known as the biliary tract, you can expect that your hepatologist will also have knowledge of everything else included in the system which is the bile ducts, gallbladder, and pancreas. Hepatologists are gastroenterologists who have decided to focus on the liver system, but not all gastroenterologists are hepatologists. There are also transplant hepatologists which is slightly different from a hepatologist as they deal in treatment and care of the liver before and after transplants and have done a separate board certification.

The conditions that hepatologists will treat include viral hepatitis, non-alcohol-related fatty liver disease, alcohol-related fatty liver disease, cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver, steatohepatitis, chronic or acute liver failure, and bile duct cancer. There are many other things that hepatologists will treat depending on their medical background and if they are transplant hepatologists, as the scope that they cover varies from a regular hepatologist. Transplant hepatologists will treat conditions such as pruritis which is itching caused by the liver, ascites, kidney failure, recurrent liver disease, gastrointestinal bleeds, and hepatic encephalopathy. Since there are many other conditions that gastroenterologists treat, the scope of treatments and conditions that are managed by hepatologists is quite large and this list does not include everything. If you have a condition and have been referred to a hepatologist or gastroenterologist by your primary care doctor, and don’t see your condition on this list do not be alarmed, as there are many things they treat as they do treat conditions such as liver enzyme deficiencies and liver cancers.

The best way to know if you need to see a hepatologist is by seeing your primary care physician, your primary care physician will go through all of your symptoms with you and may request you have testing done such as a blood test to eliminate anything that could be causing your symptoms that is not related to the liver. If your symptoms are bad they may forgo testing and refer you immediately to a hepatologist for treatment.

Depending on your health coverage plan, you may not need a referral to see a hepatologist for concerns regarding your liver. You can see your primary care doctor and request a referral if you so wish, but you can reach out to a facility like Digestive Disease Care to see a liver specialist directly. You can also see a gastroenterologist for your concerns about liver disease, as they may recommend some testing be done before seeing a hepatologist.

Our team at Digestive Disease Care can provide you with the necessary guidance and support you need. Don’t suffer in silence; contact us today for effective and customized treatments. For more information, contact us or schedule an appointment online. We have convenient locations to serve you in Jamaica NY, Melville NY, New Hyde Park NY, Forest Hills NY, Jericho NY, Mineola NY, Lake Success NY, Babylon NY, East Setauket NY, Massapequa NY, and BEYOND.