Liver Disease

If you or a loved one has liver disease, you want the best treatment available, at convenient locations close to home and work. At Henry Ford Health, our skilled liver specialists provide comprehensive treatment for all types of liver disease.

Our experienced team of specialists uses the latest diagnostic tools and treatment options to help you get the best possible outcomes.

Why choose Henry Ford for liver care?

At the Henry Ford Liver Disease Center, we have one of the country’s largest programs for liver disease treatment, with experienced physicians, nurses and other care providers who are leaders in liver care. We are a major referral center for thousands of patients each year. People come to us for our:

• Award-winning care: We have received national recognition including Center of Excellence designation in liver transplantation by Blue Cross Blue Shield.
• Leadership in liver transplantation: Our renowned transplant surgeons performed the first adult-to-adult living-donor liver transplant and first split-liver transplant in Michigan, and Detroit's first liver transplant.
• Specialists from several disciplines: Our experienced team seamlessly works together to manage and treat all types of liver disease. Every week, we meet to discuss individual patient cases, so that we coordinate your care from diagnosis through treatment and follow-up.
• Comprehensive, personalized care: We provide high-quality, personalized care for the full range of liver and gastrointestinal conditions, including liver cancer, tailored to you and your specific health needs.
• Innovative treatments and technology: We offer access to cutting-edge technology, techniques and tools available at few other institutions.
• Advanced minimally invasive procedures: We were the first liver center in Michigan to offer FibroScan, a noninvasive alternative to traditional liver biopsy. We were also the first center in Michigan to perform radiofrequency ablation for liver disease.

Liver conditions we treat at Henry Ford

Our experts use the latest technologies and innovations to diagnose and treat your specific condition. Find out more about conditions and treatments for liver at Henry Ford.

Our team treats all types of liver disease, including:

• Cirrhosis: Scarring of the liver due to long-term disease
• Hepatitis B and C: Acute or chronic infection caused by different types of viruses
• Fatty liver disease: Accumulation of fat that leads to inflammation and scar tissue
• Cancers of the liver, gallbladder, bile ducts and pancreas

Henry Ford: Treatment options for liver disease

The liver specialists at Henry Ford are well known for superior care for all kinds of liver, pancreas and gallbladder conditions. Our physicians may recommend one or more of the following treatment options:

• Lifestyle changes: Our registered dietitians can help you plan changes to diet, physical activity, smoking and other activities to minimize symptoms and improve your overall health.
• Medications: We can treat many conditions with medications that relieve symptoms and improve liver function. The medications we use include:
  • Antibiotics for bacterial infections
  • Antivirals for virus infections
  • Immune therapies to manage autoimmune response
  • Vaccinations to prevent hepatitis B infection
• Minimally invasive procedures: Our interventional radiologists can diagnose and treat (often during the same procedure) liver conditions using endoscopy. In this procedure, the physician uses an endoscope (thin, flexible tube) with a lighted camera and tiny instruments to assess and treat conditions.
• Surgery: For some cancers or other liver conditions, our skilled surgeons remove tumors and damaged tissue or to transplant a new liver. Whenever possible, we offer minimally invasive techniques, which can offer faster recovery times and less pain.