Almost 2 million people around the world die annually because of liver-inflicted diseases. According to scientists, the number is set to increase drastically by 2030. Liver cancer and cirrhosis account for 3.5% of all fatalities (death) globally.
Timely diagnosis and effective treatment can save a person from the complications of liver cirrhosis. Liver cirrhosis treatment in India is affordable and highly effective due to highly-qualified hepatologists concerning themselves with the condition.
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An Overview of Liver Cirrhosis Treatment in India
India offers some of the most affordable liver cirrhosis treatments around the world. Compared with countries like the USA, Canada, the UK, and Singapore, liver cirrhosis treatment in India is almost ten times more affordable.
All About Liver Cirrhosis
Liver cirrhosis is the scarring of the liver tissues due to long-term liver damage. The scarring can happen for various reasons, such as chronic alcohol abuse or disease infliction. Cirrhosis is sometimes called end-stage liver disease because it happens after other stages of damage from conditions that affect the liver, such as hepatitis.
Classification of Liver Cirrhosis
Liver cirrhosis mainly has two stages: compensated Cirrhosis (asymptomatic) and decompensated Cirrhosis (symptomatic).
- Compensated cirrhosis means that you have cirrhosis but show no disease symptoms. The lab reports and imaging tests will also not show any abnormality with your liver. Only a liver biopsy may confirm the presence of live cirrhosis. Patients having compensated liver cirrhosis have a median survival of 9-12 years.
- Decompensated Cirrhosis means that your liver cirrhosis has worsened to the point that it has started showing symptoms. Complications like jaundice, ascites, hepatic encephalopathy, hepatorenal syndrome, variceal bleeding, or liver cancer arise with decompensated cirrhosis. Hospital stay becomes mandatory under such circumstances. The median survival in patients with decompensated cirrhosis is approximately two years.
What are the Causes of Liver Cirrhosis?
There are many causes behind the onset of liver cirrhosis, such as:
- Chronic abuse of alcohol
- Chronic liver infections like hepatitis B and hepatitis C
- Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (associated with obesity and diabetes)
- Inherited diseases like cystic fibrosis, hemochromatosis, etc.
- Autoimmune hepatitis
- Conditions blocking or damaging bile ducts like primary biliary cholangitis, blocked bile duct, biliary atresia, etc.
- Chronic heart failure
- Rare diseases such as amyloidosis
Liver cirrhosis is a progressive disease as it keeps on worsening over time. The changes leading to liver cirrhosis are gradual. If no treatment is provided to the injured liver cells, they die. Over time, scar tissues start replacing the damaged liver cells, leading to liver malfunction.
What are the Signs and Symptoms of Liver Cirrhosis?
The symptoms of liver cirrhosis generally depend upon the classification and stage of the disease. While compensated, cirrhosis shows no signs; the symptoms of decompensated cirrhosis depend upon its complications. Many of the symptoms are general, which could be mistaken for other illnesses.
Early signs and symptoms of liver cirrhosis include:
- Fatigue
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
- Fever
- Sudden weight loss
The more commonly recognized symptoms of live cirrhosis include:
- Edema
- Jaundice
- Itchy skin
- Fluid build-up in the abdomen area
- Easy bruising and bleeding
- Brownish or orange-colored urine
- Light colored feces
- Blood in the stool
- Redness in the palms
- Confusion, personality changes, difficulty in thinking, and memory loss
- Spider-like blood vessels that surround small, red spots on your skin
- Premature menopause in women
- Loss of sex drive, enlarged breasts, and shrunken testicles in men
Who are at risk of Getting Liver Cirrhosis?
The following factors increase the chances of getting liver cirrhosis:
- Use alcohol for many years
- Have viral hepatitis
- Have diabetes
- Have obesity
- Inject drugs using shared needles
- Have a history of liver disease
- Have unprotected sex
What are the Complications of Liver Cirrhosis?
Many complications come with cirrhosis, such as:
- Infections: Your chances of getting illnesses such as bacterial peritonitis increase multi-fold with liver cirrhosis.
- Portal Hypertension is the most common complication of liver cirrhosis. Portal hypertension occurs when there is an increase in the pressure in your portal vein, the large vein that carries blood from the organs of the digestive system to the liver. Cirrhosis causes the blockage of blood flow through the liver. This blockage can lead to enlarged blood vessels in your digestive organs, which can even lead to veins bursting due to ongoing pressure.
- Malnutrition: Your liver performs one of the most critical functions – nutrient processing. The liver’s damage due to cirrhosis makes it challenging to carry on with its function, leading to weakness and weight loss.
- Hypersplenism occurs when the spleen becomes abnormally enlarged and overactive. This lead to the rapid and premature destruction of cells.
- Liver failure: Many diseases, including liver cirrhosis, can cause liver failure.
- Liver cancer: Most patients with liver cirrhosis tend to develop liver cancer later.
How is Liver Cirrhosis Diagnosed?
Before recommending lab tests, your health practitioner will know about your medical history. This includes using prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines, supplements, or herbal products. Your healthcare provider may also inquire about substance abuse or alcohol use. It will also include knowing about any previous liver-related diseases you had.
- Physical examination: Your doctor will conduct a physical exam to look for signs and symptoms mentioned in this article.
- Blood tests: Your doctor will recommend you undergo a series of blood tests if they suspect liver cirrhosis.
- Imaging tests: Tests like MRI, ultrasound, and CT scan show the size, shape, and texture of the liver. These tests can also determine the amount of scarring, the amount of fat you have in your liver, and the fluid in your abdomen.
- Liver biopsy: An examination of liver tissues under a microscope can confirm the diagnosis of liver cirrhosis.
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Can liver cirrhosis be cured?
No, the replacement of damaged liver cells with scar tissues is permanent. As liver cirrhosis is a progressive disease, there is no cure for the same. But, there are treatments available to treat the complications of liver cirrhosis.
What are the treatments to manage liver cirrhosis?
The treatment generally depends on the complications accompanying liver cirrhosis or ones developed due to it.
- Treatment for alcohol dependency: If your liver cirrhosis started because of alcohol abuse, then avoid drinking it. Drink plenty of water and have a balanced diet. If it’s difficult for you to stop drinking alcohol, your healthcare provider may recommend a treatment program for alcohol addiction.
- Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: Maintain a healthy diet, exercise, and follow your doctor’s instructions for managing diabetes.
- Hepatitis B or C: Taking antiviral medicines for hepatitis may limit further damage to your liver.
- Autoimmune hepatitis: Treatment includes immunosuppressants to stop your immune system from attacking your liver.
- Inherited liver diseases: The treatment depends on liver-related genetic disorders. For many such conditions, medicines are available to control the symptoms and improve the quality of life.
- Diseases that damage or block the bile duct: Depending on the condition, medicines or surgical options are available to cure it.
- Heart failure: The treatment depends on the cause and stage of your heart failure. Medicines to regulate blood pressure, remove excess fluids, reduce cholesterol, etc., are given to manage the symptoms in such cases. Other options include surgical methods or device implantation.
- Liver failure: If cirrhosis has led to liver failure, the only option is a liver transplant. Liver transplants can come from a living or deceased donor. Only a portion of the donor’s liver needs to be transplanted. The liver is the only human organ capable of growing back.
Cost of Liver Cirrhosis Treatment in India
The cost of liver cirrhosis treatment in India depends on a few factors, such as type and stage of liver cirrhosis, complications due to which cirrhosis is there, the complications leading to liver, the kind of treatment chosen, etc. The treatment cost ranges from $14,000 to $45,000.
Top Hospitals for Liver Cirrhosis Treatment in India
Many hospitals in India deal with liver cirrhosis. Indian hospitals have highly-experienced hepatologists who are well-versed with the latest medical technologies in diagnosing and treating liver cirrhosis. Gomedii has complied with top hospitals that offer liver cirrhosis treatment in India.
- Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, Delhi
- Lilavati Hospital and Research Centre, Mumbai
- Medica Super Specialty Hospital, Kolkata
- Fortis Escorts Hospital, Amritsar
- Apollo Specialty Hospital, Chennai
- Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute, Delhi
- Max Super Specialty Hospital Vaishali, Delhi-NCR
- Amri Hospital Salt Lake, Kolkata
- Gleneagles Global Hospital, Hyderabad
- Medanta the Medicity, Gurugram
FAQs on Liver Cirrhosis Treatment in India
Q1. Can a liver regenerate after cirrhosis?
The human liver is a regenerative organ, provided it is healthy enough to do so. Once cirrhosis is present, the regenerative ability of the liver becomes very limited.
Q2. What is the latest treatment for liver cirrhosis treatment in India?
Stem Cell Therapy is the latest therapy for live cirrhosis treatment in India. It has brought hope to patients suffering from severe liver cirrhosis. Mesenchymal stem cells are used for this procedure. Although clinical trials are still underway, they have shown promising results.
Stem cell treatment has not been proven to replace liver transplants. However, it has several benefits. It is considered to be the best treatment for liver cirrhosis in India. Stem Cell Therapy has many benefits for patients having severe liver cirrhosis, such as:
- Stabilizing a patient until they find a suitable donor for a liver transplant by replacing damaged liver cells with healthy ones
- Halting the progression of liver fibrosis to cirrhosis, eliminating the need for a transplant
- Reduce the rate of transplant rejection
- Helps improve the immunity of the patient, benefitting patients who are on immunosuppressants
Q3. Can liver cirrhosis be cured completely?
Doctors do not have specific treatments that can cure cirrhosis. However, they can treat many of the diseases that cause cirrhosis. Some of the conditions that cause cirrhosis can be cured. Treating the underlying causes of cirrhosis may keep your cirrhosis from worsening and help prevent liver failure.
Choose GoMedii for the Best Liver Cirrhosis Treatment in India
If you want the best and most affordable liver cirrhosis treatment cost in India, you are at the right place and time! Trust GoMedii, the best medical tourism company in India, with your treatment; we assure you of a top-notch, hassle-free process.
We have tie-ups with one of the most reputed hospitals to get you the best medical treatment in India at an affordable cost. Furthermore, to get access to our packages, you can contact us on our website or call us at +91-9599004311. Additionally, you can also email us at connect@gomedii.com. Our team will respond to you on a priority basis.
Contact GoMedii to get your queries resolved by our team of medical experts. You can also reach out to us to apply for a medical visa.
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