New Technology Helps Patients Suffering from Liver Disease

Houston patients suffering from liver disease can now be treated with a new technology that effectively clears toxins from the bloodstream, diminishing stress on the liver and enabling physicians to stabilize their patients.

The Methodist Hospital now offers the HemoTherapies Unit™, the Food and Drug Administration-cleared liver dialysis treatment that aids patients suffering from mental confusion due to chronic liver disease as a result of hepatitis C and cirrhosis, as well as those who have had a drug overdose or who have drug toxicity.

Patients with chronic liver disease, despite the cause, can have sudden deterioration of their thought processes due to the toxin levels building in the system, said Dr. Rise Stribling, medical director of the liver transplant program at The Methodist Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine Multi-Organ Transplant Center.

Marc Perry, 40, suffers from hepatitis C and recently received the treatment after a buildup of toxins left him in a confused state. After one of the treatments, he recognized his wife for the first time in months.

"I know it is not a cure for my liver problems, but the dialysis has restored some quality of life for my wife and I. For that, I am grateful," he said.

Unlike the dialysis treatment, medical therapy frequently takes several days to stabilize the patient, while the toxin levels can rise to the point of causing coma in these patients.

The Unit is a compact, self-contained system that can be wheeled to a patient's bedside. A catheter is inserted into the patient's leg or neck. The blood enters the unit where it flows through a charcoal filter that rids it of the toxins and the filtered blood is returned to the body. One treatment lasts four to six hours.

There are approximately 4 million patients in the United States suffering from hepatitis C, which is the leading reason for liver transplantation. The United Network for Organ Sharing said only one in four patients awaiting a transplant will receive one, and there are more than 17,000 patients waiting for donated livers. This year, more than 10,000 Americans will die from hepatitis C.

"We recognize the need to provide more advanced care for our liver disease patients and the HemoTherapies Unit™ will allow us to accomplish this goal," Dr. Stribling said. "Prior to this, we've had very few treatment options available to help our patients who suffer from mental confusion due to the toxin build up."

For more information on liver dialysis, call (713) 790-3333 for a physician referral or access http://www.methodisthealth.com.

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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