GUWAHATI: A session on ‘Increasing Alcoholism and Fatty Liver Disease’ was organised in Guwahati today, by Dr. Neerav Goyal, Senior Consultant, Liver Transplant Department, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, Delhi.
Addressing the session, Dr. Goyal said, “Sedentary lifestyle, intake of excess alcohol, junk diets comprising of high fats and low nutritive value, lack of exercise are the major factors attributed to the rise. Some very common symptoms of liver diseases are skin and eyes that appear yellowish (jaundice), abdominal pain and swelling, swelling in the legs and ankles, itchy skin, dark coloured urine, Chronic fatigue, feeling of nausea or vomiting.”
He elaborated further “It’s crucial for us to take care of our liver. The liver is the largest solid organ and the largest gland in the human body. It carries out over 500 essential tasks.”
He advised that everyone should undergo regular liver tests to keep a smooth check on liver function in order to diagnose liver disease at an earlier stage.
“Many patients undergo liver transplant while suffering from end stage liver disease. Liver transplants are highly complicated as it involves simultaneous surgeries on two individuals - a living donor and a recipient. Living Donor Liver Transplantation (LDLT) is a highly complicated surgery. The only time this procedure should be opted for is when it gives far more advantages than the risks it involves,” he informed.
Dr. Goyal also focused on the adverse impacts of excessive consumption of alcohol on the liver, by adding, “Overconsumption of alcohol was the second biggest reason of liver disease, one of them being, Alcoholic liver cirrhosis. Excessive intake of alcohol results in the gradual replacement of healthy liver tissue by non-functioning scar tissue, often leaving, liver transplantation as the last resort to treat this disease.”
According to a report published by the World Health Organization (WHO), almost 10 lakh cases of liver cirrhosis are diagnosed in India annually. Liver ailments claim the lives of almost two lakh people annually. While liver transplant surgeries possess the potential of saving almost 25,000 lives, unfortunately currently merely 1,800 liver transplants are conducted per year in India.