Dr. Pathik Parikh Hepatologist and Liver Transplant Physician

Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy is a disorder characterized by itching,  with onset in the third trimester of pregnancy, without any primary skin lesions with relief of signs and symptoms within two to three weeks after delivery. It affects 0.7% of pregnancies in multiethnic populations and 1.2–1.5% of women of Indians. Prevalence is influenced by genetic and environmental factors and varies among populations worldwide. In Chile, 2.4% of all pregnancies are affected, with a 5% prevalence in women of Araucanian – Indian origin. Pruritus in pregnancy is common, affecting 23% of pregnancies, of which a small proportion will have obstetric cholestasis. A higher incidence is seen in twin pregnancies, following IVF, women of age more than 35 years, with a history of itching in previous pregnancies and in women with a history of the biliary disease. Patients with IVF may present in the second trimester with ICP. The itching/pruritus of obstetric cholestasis is typically worse at

Hepatitis B  is a global public health problem, with the highest number of hepatitis B virus (HBV) positive cases in  China  and  India . Since the majority are asymptomatic, the disease burden is under appreciated. It is a unique challenge to manage HBV infection in pregnant women, as can have consequences to both mother and newborn. About 12 studies in the Indian subcontinent have looked specifically at the prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positivity in the pregnant women. The prevalence rate of HBsAg positivity in pregnant women varies from 1-9% in different parts of the country. All pregnant women should be tested for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) early in pregnancy. Pregnancy does not have a major effect on the liver disease in mothers with chronic hepatitis B, except in the context of cirrhosis but cirrhosis is relatively uncommon in young childbearing women with HBV infection. All hepatitis B positive women should be monitored closely during pregnanc

Liver is the largest internal organ of the body and is the largest gland of the body. It weighs 1000 to 1500 mg and is responsible for carrying out more than 500 functions. Unlike kidney, we do not have a any artificial machine to take care of all liver functions and so when an individual develops liver failure , they are left with  liver transplant  as their only option. Myth 1 – Liver Transplant is only for elite class Liver transplant is 100 times cheaper in India than any other developed country of the world. The overall cost varies from 12 -25 lakhs for the operation. But the most important fact that people do not know is that there are a lot of social organizations and NGOs that help people financially for liver transplant. What people fail to understand that you end up spending more than the cost of transplant after cirrhosis just for repeated admissions with complications. It is advisable to get transplanted rather than getting admitted multiple times in Intensive care u