Gastrointestinal endoscopy plays an essential role in the management of patients with liver disease. This issue reviews the standard of care in the endoscopic management of portal hypertension and biliary disease before and after liver transplantation. A thorough knowledge of the available endoscopic diagnostic and therapeutic methods is essential for the practicing hepatologist. Emphasis is placed on recent advances in imaging techniques such as the application of capsule endoscopy and endoscopic ultrasound in the evaluation of portal hypertension and recent advances in cholangioscopy and biliary tissue sampling. Additionally new information regarding the endoscopic management of esophageal and gastric varices is reviewed. Finally, the current role of ERCP in the diagnosis and staging of cholangiocarcinoma before liver transplantation and the endoscopic management of biliary complications after liver transplantation is discussed.

For those with any form of liver disease, this concise, practical guide from a trusted expert will help you take care of your liver and your health. Liver disease is a common cause of morbidity and mortality all over the world-and it's on the rise. Approximately 3.3 million US adults are currently living with hepatitis B or C, 25% of whom will go on to develop cirrhosis, cancer, or liver failure. More than 3 million new cases of fatty liver disease are reported each year in the United States alone, and the prevalence of this condition is increasing rapidly. Alcohol-related liver disease has become a leading cause of preventable death in young people. In Your Complete Guide to Liver Health, world-renowned gastroenterologist and liver specialist Dr. Paul J. Thuluvath reveals how everything from infections to the medications you take to what you eat and drink can affect not only your liver but also your overall health. Dr. Thuluvath teaches you all you need to know about this vital organ, including * how your liver works * how to prevent liver infections and disease * how diseases that affect the liver, including cancer, liver failure, fatty liver, hepatitis, and more, are diagnosed and treated * which foods, drinks, and supplements to avoid * how you can take care of your liver and your health for the rest of your life In each chapter of this comprehensive yet concise book, Dr. Thuluvath explains in easy-to-follow language how the liver is affected by the various conditions covered, along with how each particular disease is diagnosed and treated. Those with a liver disease need to take special care not to cause additional damage to their liver-this book shows you how.

The liver is the body's workhorse. It makes proteins and bile, processes fats, and detoxifies drugs and alcohol. The liver is a resilient organ, but it is susceptible to damage from a number of sources, including viral infections. Such infections cause inflammation of the liver, called hepatitis. This book is a comprehensive guide to hepatitis C, which affects about 3 percent of the world's population-3 to 4 million people in the United States alone. Some people with acute hepatitis C infection will be cured without any treatment, but when hepatitis C becomes chronic it may cause cirrhosis, liver cancer, and death. Hepatitis C is transmitted from an infected person to an uninfected person by sharing drug-injecting equipment, snorting cocaine, having sex, or getting a blood transfusion or organ transplant. It can be spread by getting a tattoo with unsterile equipment. In rare cases, women with hepatitis C transmit the virus to their infants. World-renowned gastroenterologist and liver specialist Dr Paul J Thuluvath provides detailed information about the disease and its diagnosis and management, including dramatically improved treatments that have recently emerged. Dr Thuluvath answers common and uncommon questions about hepatitis C and liver disease, including: How is hepatitis C spread? Who should be tested-and what tests diagnose hepatitis C and other liver diseases? What are the symptoms of acute liver disease? What are the symptoms and complications of chronic liver disease? What are the complications of cirrhosis (scarring of the liver)? How does hepatitis C affect other organs in the body? What treatment options are available, and what side effects might they have? How is early liver cancer diagnosed and treated? When is liver transplantation needed, and how does it work? Dr Thuluvath provides the latest information on new interferon-free regimens, which have shown a cure rate of more than 90 per cent in people with specific genotypes-and which avoid the distressing side effects of interferon therapy. He discusses hepatitis C in children as well as complementary and alternative medicine. Published while revolutionary changes are taking place in the treatment of hepatitis C, this authoritative guide will become the preferred reference for people with hepatitis C and their families.

As there is a high incidence of disease recurrence after liver transplantation, this volume is designed around the need for a reference text dealing exclusively with this problem. The book places special emphasis on pre- and post-transplant predictors of recurrence, severity assessment, prophylaxis, and treatment. Pathobiology of disease recurrence is discussed in detail where applicable. Issues including quality of life and cost burden are also covered in the text. Written by well-known authorities in each field, Disease Recurrence After Liver Transplantation: Natural History, Treatment and Survival serves as a comprehensive reference for physicians and surgeons who take care of liver transplant recipients and a major addition to the literature detailing the current understanding of disease recurrence.