Liver is one of the most important organs of the living beings, which performs various functions to keep the body healthy and fit. In some people, the liver will be malfunctioning due to several reasons. So, in these technology days, it is possible for the transplanting it from a healthy person to the patient. Though it is possible but, this transplantation will not be successful for all which can be due to individual health conditions and the stage of liver failure. In order to determine whether a patient can go for the liver transplant or not there are several tests to consider.

Steps to undergo liver transplantation
Liver transplantation is not as simple as it is said, but there are several steps to consider before one thinks of this surgery. Some of the primary steps involved in the process of liver transplantation are:

The first step is to visit the doctor and discuss about liver transplantation.
Then as per the suggestion of the doctor visit the referred liver transplant centre.
The patient is provided with the required information regarding liver transplant.
In this course of time patient will meet several members of the transplant team.
Next medical history of the patient is viewed and recommends some tests to determine the requirement of transplantation.
Then the results of the tests say about the patient condition.
After that, a donor is found out who can be either a living donor or deceased one.
Once the donor is found, transplant centre asks the patient to be prepared for the transplantation.
Process of determining liver transplantation
Determining the requirement of liver transplantation is the most important step which is evaluated by the specialists only. These specialists will be from various fields to know whether it is highly essential or not. This evaluation will be based upon the medical history of the patient, in some of the cases interviewing or discussions with the patient and huge number of tests. All these will be conducted by a professional liver transplant team at the liver transplantation centre only. This team includes:

Liver specialists are also known as Heptalogist
Transplant coordinator
Transplant surgeons
Psychiatrist
Financial coordinator
Social worker
Insurance manager
Anesthesiologist
Dietitian
Chemical dependency specialist
Tests to evaluate the need of Liver Transplantation
Patients are required to present all their previous health records which include X-rays, liver biopsy slides along with the medications during the pre-evaluation of liver transplantation. The common tests that are performed to evaluate the necessity of liver transplantation include following:

Computed tomography for generation of liver pictures
Doppler ultrasound for checking blood vessels from and to the liver is in open condition.
Echocardiogram for the evaluation of heart condition.
Pulmonary function to determine the condition of lungs in respiration process.
Blood test to check the type of blood, clotting ability along with the biochemical status of the blood.
In some patients, AIDS along with Hepatitis are also included.
All the above tests along with the exams help in diagnosing if a patient needs liver transplantation depending upon the condition.

How To Evaluate If Liver Transplant Is Required By A Patient?

Fatty liver is a condition where excess fat is deposited on this organ. Also called as steatosis, this condition happens when more than 5- 10 percent of the weight of the liver is made up of fat.

Fatty liver is a common condition among people. A study from coastal regions of India found ~ 25% of healthy persons had patients had fatty liver on ultrasound.

It can occur at all ages including childhood, highest prevalence is in 40 50 year age group. Prevalence more in patient who are obese and in diabetic patients.

Types of Fatty Liver

1 Alcoholic fatty liver: This condition occurs when there is a heavy consumption of alcohol. Gastroenterologists recommend abstention from alcohol for this condition to subside. If the patient continues to consume alcohol, then liver cirrhosis may develop.

2 Non alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL): One may develop a fatty liver even if one is not an alcoholic. The liver in some cases is unable to process the fat in cells causing them to build-up on the organ.

When more than 10% of the liver is made of fat then this condition is called Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver (NAFL).

Non alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH): When fatty liver is associated with inflammation in liver patient is said to be having Non alcoholic steatohepatitis. NASH is a more advanced stage of NAFLD, and has a higher risk of progressing to liver cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). These condition display symptoms like jaundice, vomiting, nausea, loss of appetite and abdominal pain. Blood test (LFT) shows raised enzymes level. Approx 5-8% of the Indian population has NASH. Consult a doctor if you are experiencing any of these symptoms.

3 Fatty liver during pregnancy: Occurring mainly in the third trimester, the symptoms of this condition are vomiting, nausea, pain the right part of the abdomen and jaundice.

Symptoms

During the early stages (fatty liver) of the disease, patients usually have no symptoms directly related to liver disease. However, people may experience a vague abdominal discomfort. If their liver is inflamed (NASH) then they may display symptoms of poor appetite, weight loss, pain in the abdomen and disorientation.

What causes fatty liver?

The most common cause of fatty liver is alcoholism. When the human liver is unable to metabolize fat fast enough or when there is an excess accumulation of fat on the liver cells then the liver becomes fatty. However, intake of high-fat foods may not result in a fatty liver.

Predisposing factor:

1 Diabetes mellitus

2 Obesity or being overweight

3 Hyperlipidemia or the condition where there are high levels of fat in the blood

4 Genetic reasons

5 Rapid loss of weight

6 Drugs: Aspirin, steroids, tamoxifen, tetracycline etc. cause side effects which also leads to fatty liver

7 Nutritional status (eg, overnutrition, severe malnutrition, total parenteral nutrition [TPN], or starvation diet)

8 Other health problems (eg, Hepatitis C infection, celiac sprue and Wilson disease)

Know More About Fatty Liver!

The term cirrhosis refers to liver scarring due to various diseases and conditions such as chronic alcoholism and hepatitis. Each time the liver gets injured, it tries to repair itself, resulting in the formation of the scar tissue. With the progression of cirrhosis, a number of tissues generate making the task of liver difficult. Since the liver is an important organ of the body due to its functionalities such as detoxification and nutrient generation, reduced function of liver poses a serious threat to the body.

Symptoms of liver cirrhosis:
Unfortunately, cirrhosis doesn t portray any conspicuous symptoms that can be easily identified until the scarring has reached a level of threat. Some of the common signs and symptoms of this disease include fatigue, nausea, itchy skin, drowsiness, enlarged breasts, testicular atrophy, fluid in the abdomen, bleeding from the mouth, leg swelling, redness in palms etc.

Causes of liver cirrhosis:
There could be an array of reasons for the occurrence of liver cirrhosis. The major causes include an accumulation of fat in the liver, chronic alcoholism and chronic hepatitis. Some of the other reasons include cystic fibrosis, bile duct deformation, Wilson s disease, hemochromatosis, schistosomiasis, continuous consumption of medicines such as methotrexate, a disease involving glycogen storage and Aalagille syndrome.

Complications involved in liver Cirrhosis:

High blood pressure: Cirrhosis results in slow blood movement through the passage of the liver resulting in an increased pressure on the vein that is responsible for carrying blood from the intestine to the liver. This increases the blood pressure in the body.
Swelling of abdomen and legs: Portal hypertension can result in accumulation of fluid in the leg and the abdomen due to the liver s inability to producing an important protein known as the albumin.
Spleen enlargement: Portal hypertension is responsible for changing the shape of the spleen. Decreased count of WBC and the platelets indicate towards portal hypertension and cirrhosis.
Bleeding: Portal hypertension doesn t let the blood flow in its normal path. It directs the blood to flow through smaller veins. The veins, in turn, swell and burst to cause a massive amount of bleeding.
Apart from these some of the other complications involve jaundice, liver cancer, infections, bone diseases and liver failure.

Diagnosis:
Liver cirrhosis doesn t get detected easily. It is often diagnosed with a routine blood test. Some of the lab tests that can help to identify cirrhosis include blood work to check organ function of liver and kidney. Your doctor might suggest other tests such as MRI scan, CT scan or liver biopsy.

Treatment:
Treatment for the underlying cause of liver cirrhosis is done to keep the disease under control. A doctor might treat you for weight loss, alcohol dependency, complications related to hepatitis, portal hypertension and hepatic encephalopathy. For advanced cases where the liver stops functioning, a doctor might suggest a patient go for a liver transplant.

Liver Cirrhosis - What You Must Know About It?

The liver is a vital organ in our body because it performs many important functions. This includes filtering harmful substances in our blood, producing bile to facilitate digestion of food, storing energy and nutrients as well as producing hormones and enzymes that the body uses for performing essential functions. However, too much consumption of alcohol can affect the liver, lead to serious consequences related to our health, and also result in an alcohol-related liver disease (ALD). An ALD may, in turn, cause disruption of the digestion process and weaker immune system. It may even increase the risk of developing cancer.

Causes:

As the name suggests, the prime cause behind the development of alcohol-induced liver disease is the consumption of alcohol for a long duration. However, some of the other causes behind the development of alcohol-induced liver disease include the presence of an existing liver disease such as fatty liver or hepatitis, inherited liver disease, or a liver disease induced due to excessive or prolonged consumption of certain drugs.

Alcohol-induced liver diseases (ALD) can be of three types. 

Alcoholic fatty liver disease: Alcoholic fatty liver disease or steatosis occurs due to the deposition of fats in the liver, which is an end result of excessive alcohol consumption.
Alcoholic hepatitis: Too much of alcohol consumption can also lead to liver inflammation, which is called alcoholic hepatitis.
Alcoholic cirrhosis: This alcoholic-liver disease occurs when the liver is scarred due to excessive consumption of alcohol. In this case, the healthy and soft liver tissues are replaced with dead and hard tissues.
Symptoms: Some of the signs and symptoms, mostly related to ALD, are not noticed in the initial stage. It is only after a few years that the symptoms may appear. Some of the common symptoms include abdominal pain, loss of appetite and weight loss, swelling in the abdomen as well as the legs, feet, and ankles, a yellowish appearance of the skin, itchy skin with hair loss, and bleeding and complications such as liver cancer or ascites.

Diagnosing alcohol-related liver disease is based on your history of alcohol consumption. But, there is no single test that can detect this type of disease, so a combination of tests will be suggested by your physician before a specific type of alcoholic liver disease is diagnosed.



Ayurvedic Treatment

Ayurveda is known to be greatly beneficial for the treatment of alcohol-induced liver diseases. The use of natural ingredients like herbs can not only treat the liver disease but also promote the overall well-being of the liver. The treatment will include abstinence from alcohol, as it is very important when it comes to undoing the damage that alcohol has caused to your liver.

There are some home remedies also which are only supportive in case of Alcoholic fatty liver, but if you are suffering from alcoholic hepatitis and ALD related liver cirrhosis you must need proper line of treatment under a well experienced and expert Ayurvedic doctor. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Alcohol Related Liver Diseases - Ways Ayurveda Can Help With It!

The liver is the largest internal organ in our body which performs multiple functions and it is the only gland that can regenerate quickly when it is healthy. The main role of the liver is to clean and filter blood coming via digestive tract previous to it flows to remaining body parts. Liver failure results in reduced ability of blood clotting, thereby causing severe problems in case of injuries. Apart from that, alcohol and viruses are also significant factors that stop the liver from functioning properly.

Liver Transplantation
Liver Transplantation enables even the people at the final stage of liver failure to lead longer and happier life. The success rate of Liver transplantation has increased drastically due to advanced surgical techniques. Liver transplant is the best option when the liver is damaged partially or entirely. It is a surgery that involves replacing a failed liver in a recipient with a healthy liver of a donor.

Who should go for it?
The main cause of liver failure in infants is Biliary Atresia. This occurs when bile ducts are absent or partially/fully blocked. Whereas in adults, liver disease is caused due to Cirrhosis - a condition in which liver is scarred and becomes dysfunctional in the worst case. Most common reasons for Cirrhosis are Hepatitis B and C, genetic disorders, alcohol consumption, toxic metals and obesity. One should immediately seek advice from a doctor when he/she suffers from following symptoms:

Fatigue
Nausea
Weakness
Weight loss
Jaundice
Fever
Abdominal Pain
Itchy Skin
Liver Transplantation Surgery
Two kinds of the liver transplant are available: 

Deceased donor transplant 
Living donor transplant
There are not enough deceased donor livers available to match all the liver transplant needs. Any living donor with a matching liver can donate a part of their organ to the person undergoing the liver transplant. As the liver can regenerate itself to its normal size in healthy people within a few months, there are no side effects of donating a part of the liver. A thorough physical and mental health examination will be performed for both the donor and the recipient to ensure that they can cope with the process and are aware of the risks involved. This includes psychological tests and blood tests. Patients are added to a waiting list as per their priority score. The score is assigned to a patient based on three blood samples creatinine, bilirubin and INR.

The priority score is termed as MELD (model of end-stage liver disease) in adults and PELD (pediatric end-stage liver disease) in children. The patient cannot undergo liver transplant if he/she has contracted cancer in any other part of the body or is suffering from heart disease or severe infections.

During the liver transplantation procedure, the surgeon removes some part of the liver from a donor and replaces damaged liver in the recipient with it. Both recipient's and donor's liver re-grow rapidly and reach normal size within months. As per statistics, recipients who receive the liver from living donor have a higher survival rate than those who receive it from deceased donors.

After surgery, both donor and recipient should maintain healthy and clutter-free life and follow strict diet rules and get vaccinated as per the chart provided by the doctor. They also need to avoid consumption of alcohol entirely and talk to a medical practitioner before taking any medications.

Liver Transplant Surgery - Who Should Go For It?

The build-up of fat in the liver may lead to the development of a condition known as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis or NASH. This condition is not related to the consumption of alcohol and the inflammation is due to the buildup of fats in the liver. In most cases, there are no symptoms till the stage when the fat deposition causes inflammation and damages the liver cells. This also hinders the normal functioning of the liver and if not treated, it may lead to an extreme condition known as cirrhosis. However, NASH does not always get worse and with some precaution, it can be treated.

The cause behind the development of this disease is not alcohol consumption and it could be some environmental factor that triggers liver inflammation or heredity might be another reason. However, the risk of developing this disease is high for people who are obese, have metabolic syndrome, have high cholesterol or are resistant to insulin.

There are hardly any symptoms of NASH that are seen in the early stage of this condition. However, at a much-progressed stage, the following symptoms may be seen:

Weight loss
Fatigue and weakness
Upper abdomen pain
Diagnosing NASH requires undergoing several tests that include a blood test, a CT scan, an MRI scan and also an abdominal ultrasound.

Benefits of Ayurvedic remedies in managing NASH



There are remedies which help in detoxification of the liver. They also enhance the body s capacity to digest fats and prevent it from accumulating in the liver.
A few remedies are rich in vitamin C content as they are very effective in treating liver problems.
Some remedies are packed with the antioxidant and vitamin C. And, it is this vitamin C that helps the liver in producing the enzyme, glutathione, which neutralizes the toxins and detoxifies the liver of all of the toxins.
Some remedies contain catechins, which are known to enhance the functioning of the liver. They are great for blocking the fat stored in the liver and works wonder in fighting against diseases associated with the fatty liver disease.
There are some fruits that are effective in treating fatty liver diseases. These fruits burn the dietary fat rapidly and also improves the functioning of the liver if consumed regularly.
Some Ayurvedic remedies are a storehouse of the fat-soluble Vitamin E, and are known to protect your liver against the accumulation of fats and will keep your liver healthy.
Apart from including these natural ingredients in your diet, you will also have to reduce your body weight, reduce cholesterol level, control your diabetes, exercise regularly and stop consuming alcohol. However, home remedies are just supportive, but not a complete line of treatment for NASH so you cannot depend completely only on them. As mentioned NASH can disturb your normal liver functioning and if not treated it can lead to liver cirrhosis so take proper Ayurvedic treatment under the guidance of an Ayurvedic doctor.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) - Home Remedies That Can Help Treat It!

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