Sealy TX Liver Specialist

Did your attending doctor recommend for you to find a Sealy TX liver specialist? Perhaps they originally sent you to a digestive specialist, but the specialist recommended for you to find a liver specialist instead? Or perhaps you want a liver checkup to prevent any potential issues from taking you by surprise later.

The liver has an essential role in the body. It’s an important organ that supports nearly every other one. For you to be healthy, your liver needs to function properly.

Sealy TX Liver Specialist
Excessive alcohol consumption can cause liver problems later.

How is your liver so important? It regulates toxins and chemical levels in your blood, digests food, and processes nutrients. According to research, doctors estimate that the liver performs over 500 vital functions.

If your doctor suspects that there’s something wrong with your liver, they may refer you to a hepatologist. Hepatologist is the technical term for a liver specialist. And like any specialist, they have more focused knowledge than a general practitioner.

Sealy TX Liver Specialist

Liver specialists focus on the liver, gallbladder, pancreas, biliary ducts, and any related disorders. Technically, their field of study falls under the larger umbrella of the digestive system. However, as more advances are made, hepatology, the study of the liver, has steadily become its own specialty with dedicated professionals.

As you search for a liver specialist, you may encounter some gastroenterologists, or digestive system specialists or stomach doctor. These practitioners focus on the stomach, intestines, colon, liver, and gallbladder digestive organs.

You may have noticed that the liver falls under the digestive system. So why is there a need for people to specialize only in the liver? As the medical field advances, so does our knowledge of certain organs. The more delicate and complicated the organ, the more the need for people to have a deeper understanding.

And, in order to receive certification as a liver specialist, you need additional schooling about liver diseases and disorders. So unlike digestive specialists, who know about the entire digestive system, liver specialists have a more detailed understanding of the liver.

Often enough, you don’t go looking for a liver specialist because you feel like it. Usually, it’s your doctor that recommends you find one or directly refers you to one. You usually see a liver specialist if you have health issues concerning alcohol-related liver disease, hepatitis, or liver cancer.

A Liver Specialist’s Credentials

Before a Sealy TX liver specialist is certified, they go through several years of medical studies and training. Along with their general four years of medical school, they also need to complete three years of residency in internal medicine.

After they complete their first residency, potential liver specialists take a certification exam from the American Board of Internal Medicine. This certification exam will certify them in gastroenterology, which is the general field of the digestive system. Once they pass, they’ll now have official certification from the Board.

However, live specialists aren’t done yet. They also need to be part of a fellowship in gastroenterology with a focus on liver diseases. This ordeal lasts a minimum of four years. Only after this do they have a subspecialty certification for the liver and biliary systems.

You’ll be in capable hands regardless of which liver specialist you visit.

What Liver Specialist Can Treat

As stated before, often enough, it’s your general doctor that refers you to a liver specialist. It may be because your liver’s test results came back with some abnormal results. Or it may be because you’re showing a symptom of liver problems. If attending doctor notices anything, they may point you in the direction of a specialist, so you can bet better treatment.

Although, they may refer you to a gastroenterologist, or GI specialist, first. Gastroenterologists treat conditions such as abdominal pain, ulcers, diarrhea, cancer, and jaundice.

However, sometimes these specialists may see your test results have symptoms of liver problems. Some may be able to treat it themselves; others may refer you to a liver specialist.

Sealy TX Liver Specialist
Call Dr. James Maher’s office if you’re in need of a Sealy TX Liver Specialist.

These specialists can treat a variety of liver-related issues. They include cirrhosis, alcohol damage to the liver, hepatitis, fatty liver disease, liver cancer, or other liver diseases. On occasion, they can also treat problems with your biliary system, like gallstones or pancreas inflammation.

They also have a hand in treating patients who’ve undergone liver surgery, like liver transplant. Although, they can’t do the surgery themselves, they monitor those patients before and after the surgery.

Liver Specialist Treatments

Before they can decide what treatment plan to put you on, doctors need to diagnose you. Sometimes they may do a simple test, including blood tests or imaging tests. Other times, they may opt to carry out a liver biopsy.

Depending on what the issue is, they’ll prescribe you a treatment plan. Sometimes, you’ll need to take medicine to help relieve symptoms, improve liver functions, or reduce inflammation. In the worst case, if medication won’t completely help, they may consult a surgeon about transplanting you a new liver.

Other times, they’ll list out a new, healthier lifestyle to help your liver bounce back from its issues. This may include losing weight and eating a healthier diet. If you have high cholesterol, they may also give advice on how to lower that. If you have diabetes and that’s adding complications to your liver, they may also give advice on how to control that.

Depending on your situation, you may also have to avoid or give up on alcohol.

Sealy TX Liver Specialist
Talk with our professional team.

Even if you aren’t showing symptoms now, you can always ask a liver specialist how to prevent any of these conditions.

Contacting a Liver Specialist

Somtimes either you or your doctor notices you’re showing symptoms of liver problems. When that happens, they’ll usually refer you to a liver specialist, who can do further tests. Catching any symptoms in their early stages will help alleviate the situation from turning for the worse.

Of course, taking medical advice from the Internet isn’t the best solution. The best way to know and understand is to ask your attending doctor. Depending on your situation, they refer you to find digestive or liver specialist. Contact the office of Katy Stomach Doctor James Maher for a Sealy TX liver specialist that you can trust.

Sealy, TX Fun Facts:

  • In 1879, San Felipe sold part of its township to the Gulf, Colorado, and San Felipe Railroad to create Sealy.
  • The town’s name comes from wealthy businessman and shareholder of said railroad, George Sealy.
  • The famous Sealy mattresses orginated from here.
  • For more fun facts, visit Sealy’s official site.