Liver disease (hepatic disease) is any disease that negatively affects the liver’s performance. Some diseases, such as hepatitis, are caused by viruses. Over time, liver disease can cause cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver. As healthy liver tissue is replaced by growing amounts of scar tissue, the liver finds it increasingly more difficult to function properly. The most common disease of the liver is fatty liver which affects people with diabetes and hypertension, those who are obese, or those with a family history predisposing them to liver disease. If left untreated, liver disease can lead to liver failure and liver cancer.
Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City (SSMC), Abu Dhabi, prioritizes and specializes in the early detection and diagnosis of liver disease. Our multidisciplinary team of liver specialists includes experts in gastroenterology, hepatology and liver transplant surgery. The team uses a collaborative, patient-centered approach to care, providing patients with a safe, high-quality and specialty-specific continuum of care for the best individual health outcomes.
We imbed the SSMC Model of Care into every aspect of liver disease treatment. Our patients receive individualized attention from our experts in various specialties, who work together to deliver trusted, compassionate and effective care.
Symptoms & Diagnosis
Often, liver disease signs and symptoms go unnoticed. If they do occur, they may include:
- Skin and eyes that appear yellowish (jaundice)
- Abdominal pain and swelling
- Swelling in the legs and ankles
- Itchy skin
- Dark urine color
- Pale stool color
- Chronic fatigue
- Nausea or vomiting
- Loss of appetite
- Tendency to bruise easily
Treatment
SSMC’s multidisciplinary team manages treatment for some of the rarest liver diseases and provides comprehensive post-liver transplant care.
SSMC is one of only two centers that offer treatment for hepatitis C. We also offer treatments for hepatitis B, liver tumors including liver cancer, lesions, and rare diseases such as autoimmune liver disease and Wilson Disease. Additionally, we are equipped to conduct assessments of liver fibrosis and liver fat content using non-invasive methods such as fibroscan.
