Apollo Hospitals, has set up the Centre for Liver Disease & Transplantation (CLDT) with an aim to bring advanced liver care closer to home for the patients in Bengaluru.

CLDT plans to make their services available via multidisciplinary 'liver clinics' that are aimed to become a one stop solution for patients with liver and hepatobiliary-pancreatic disorders.

Liver failure is a potentially fatal condition in which the liver progressively stops performing its function resulting in episodes of jaundice, accumulation of fluid in the body, blood vomiting and confusion. Conditions such as hepatitis B or hepatitis C infection, excess alcohol consumption, diseases such as primary biliary cirrhosis and primary sclerosing cholangitis can cause this state. A liver transplant is recommended when all other treatment options fail and then on inaction could be fatal. The purpose of the transplantation is to replace the diseased liver with a healthy liver. Ideally, after a transplant, a patient will be free from disease, and can lead a fairly normal life.

At Apollo Hospitals Bengaluru, the services offered will include liver and multi-visceral transplantation for all age groups and for the full spectrum of liver ailments. Additionally, patients with various forms of liver, biliary and pancreatic cancers can avail services related to advanced radiologic and minimally surgical (laparoscopic surgery, radiofrequency ablations) interventions. Hepatology and interventional gastroenterology services at CLDT will benefit patients with liver disease.

“Liver disease is a common and serious problem in our country. Liver transplantation is surgery that is performed to remove a diseased liver in order to replace it with a healthy one. Such surgeries have been done for over 38 years. Several people who have had liver transplants go on to lead perfectly normal lives,” said Dr Anand Khakhar, senior consultant, liver transplant and hepatobiliary surgery, Apollo Hospitals Group.