HEPATOLOGY: TREATING THE LIVER

Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH)

Story and photo by Elisabeth Slay

Hepatology is the study of liver diseases and after a loved one experienced liver difficulties of their own, Dr Sidra Ahsan became a hepatologist and now works for the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine Department of Surgery.

“Hepatology is a very wide field. It has a lot of pathology and physiology as well. It’s any disease that affects the liver whether it be acute liver conditions or chronic liver conditions it can be metabolic disturbances,” she said

Dr Ahsan explained in the United States and specifically in Oklahoma, many liver issues are caused by alcoholassociated liver disease.

“At the same time, we’re also seeing a lot of patients with NASH which is nonalcoholic steatohepatitis which can also lead to hepatitis but with the medications available we are seeing less hepatitis now,” Dr Ahsan said

The medical professional explained many patients with NASH don’t know they have the condition. “They are not aware and it’s related to a lot of lifestyle choices, genetics, diabetes, and obesity So those are the main patients that we are seeing,” she said “At the same time, we see a lot of patients with Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C, and other diseases ” Dr Ahsan has a personal connection to hepatology that inspired her to join the field and work with those who suffer from liver conditions.

“I lost my father to Cirrhosis He was an orthopedic surgeon and he never knew he had Cirrhosis,” she explained “He had NASH and he was a diabetic at the age of 40 and when he retired at the age of 67 he had Upper GI bleeding and that’s when we found out he had NASH and later on he passed away from complications.”

The hepatologist finds her work extremely rewarding and enjoys the many different elements of the profession “With the surgical component, the role of the hepatologist is to complete the evaluation of a pretransplant patient,” she said “For transplant surgery, we work with our surgical colleagues to evaluate the patients from the medical standpoint.

At the same time, we take care of these patients in the acute phase and manage their medical conditions while they’re being evaluated for a liver transplant.”

Additionally, Dr. Ahsan said she assists patients who might already have certain liver conditions to maintain their symptoms and prevent them from developing into worsened conditions She also works with patients after their transplants and helps them maintain their health

“I find it very rewarding that a lot of patients can get a second chance at life for themselves and also for their children and family,” she said. Since 2021, Dr. Ahsan has worked with surgeons and patients at the University of Oklahoma.

“I think working together with our surgical colleagues has been really beneficial for the program and for us For us hepatologists, we can manage a disease medically but the cure for Cirrhosis is a liver transplant,” Dr Ahsan said Both components work together to provide the best care they can for liver disease patients Dr Ahsan explained