Welcome to the Methodist Center for Liver Disease and Transplantation
At the Methodist Center for Liver Disease and Transplantation, it’s our mission to provide the highest quality care to patients with liver disease.
Our experienced team works with each patient on an individual basis to treat all aspects of their conditions. And if transplant becomes the best option, we’re here to guide you through the process and provide the support you need—before, during, and after your transplant.
The Mission of the Methodist Center for Liver Disease and Transplantation is to provide the highest quality care to patients with liver disease. Using innovative clinical and research programs, the Center’s physicians and staff are committed to expanding the indications for effective liver disease therapies while adhering to the ICARE values of the Methodist Hospital.
The Methodist Center for Liver Disease and Transplantation is one of the nation's most active liver treatment centers—and one of the most successful in terms of patient outcomes.
In 2010 alone, our surgeons performed 44 successful liver transplants, and our one-year survival rate currently stands at 95 percent, well above the national average.
New drugs encouraging for African Americans with hepatitis C
Two new drugs just approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat hepatitis C genotype 1 significantly improved the cure rates of patients. One of the drugs was especially effective in treating African Americans.
The current standard of treatment of interferon and ribavirun has only been effective in curing 38 to 40 percent of patients with chronic hepatitis C genotype 1.
In clinical trials, Victrelis and Incivek, when working in concert with interferon and ribavirun, cured 65 to 75 percent of people with chronic disease and Victrelis-alone doubled the previous cure rate among African Americans.
Fatty liver disease can lead to heart attack
Because of the prevalence of obesity in our country, many Americans are expected to develop a serious condition called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which can lead to cirrhosis, fibrosis, and in some cases liver failure. It is also one of the best predictors for coronary artery disease.
"Most people who have fatty liver disease are more likely to die from a heart attack than cirrhosis of the liver," said Dr. Howard Monsour, chief of Hepatology at The Methodist Hospital in Houston. "I ask all my patients, especially those over 50, if they have had a stress test in the last year; if not then I send them to the cardiologist to get one."
