TC Web Desk
Cases of liver failure and liver cancer have increased post-Covid in Gujarat as observed by doctors at a conference organised by Apollo Hospitals, Ahmedabad, on ‘Recent Advances and Controversies in Hepatology (REACH)’ on Sunday, April 16, 2023. The surge is attributed to the rise in the incidences of seasonal viral hepatitis in Gujarat especially post-Covid. In such cases, doctors said the symptoms persisted longer than usual and caused increased incidences of liver failure, which was unlikely in the pre-COVID era.
The conference discussed the new age treatments and the challenges in liver transplant, liver cancer, and cirrhosis. Over 100 gastroenterologists and liver transplant surgeons from across Gujarat participated in the conference.
Experts spoke on key topics such as ‘Infections in Cirrhosis—Worrying data from Gujarat’, ‘Immunotherapy in Liver Cancer’, ‘Autoimmune Hepatitis—Treating steroid resistant cases’, ‘Challenges accessing liver transplantation and an overview of paediatric transplantation’, and ‘An update on interventional radiology in liver transplantation’.
The conference also highlighted the new treatments available to treat liver cancer in India. Ahead of World Liver Day, celebrated on April 19, Dr Pathik Parikh, Consultant Hepatologist & Liver Transplant Physician, Apollo Hospitals, Ahmedabad, said, “There is a 180-degree shift in the treatment of liver cancer. All the latest treatment modalities are now available in India. These developments have come up in the last two years. These treatments involve the usage of immunotherapy and radiotherapy for liver cancer.”
Experts in the field of hepatology like Dr Darius Mirza, Liver Transplant & HBP Surgeon, Birmingham UK, Dr Chirag Desai, Chief Consultant & Program Director, GI, Hepatobiliary & Liver Transplant Surgeon, and Dr Shravan Bohra, Chief Consultant, Gastroenterology/Hepatology, Apollo Hospitals, Ahmedabad, also shared their valuable insights at the conference.
