Hepatology Care

Hepatology Care

The UVA Digestive Health Center offers a world-class team of medical, surgical, and pediatric liver disease specialists who offer cutting-edge therapies for treating advanced liver disease and liver transplantation.

Clinic team members strive to optimize the quality of life for patients with liver disease by providing comprehensive multidisciplinary care from referrals. The Hepatology Clinic offers a complete range of innovative diagnostic and treatment services, including the following:

Coagulation in Liver Disease

The UVA Hepatology team has internationally renowned expertise in this aspect of hepatology. Under the direction of Dr. Stephen Caldwell, several clinical research efforts are underway in this field. These are headed up by Neeral Shah, MD, and Nic Intagliata, MD, and include University-based studies and international collaborations. In addition, UVA is a co-organizer of the biennial International Symposium on Coagulation in Liver Disease (http://www.coagulationinliverdisease.org/).

Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)

Our physicians are leaders in the clinical care of patients with fatty liver disease, including nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). There are no FDA medical therapies for this condition, which may affect up to 80 million Americans. We have multiple ongoing clinical trials, headed by Dr. Zachary Henry and Dr. Stephen Caldwell, to investigate newer diagnostic tests and therapies for this potentially progressive form of liver disease. In addition, we have a specific clinic to address lifestyle modifications for NASH patients with more advanced diseases.

Viral Hepatitis (Hepatitis C and Hepatitis B)

Specialists in Hepatology and Infectious Diseases have partnered to offer a range of new therapies tailored to individual patients. Strong nursing and pharmacy support have increased access to medical treatment for our patients with viral hepatitis.

Liver Cancer and Liver Lesions

A multidisciplinary team provides a solid clinical foundation for all forms of therapy for liver cancer and benign liver lesions — from surgical to radiological to medical. Clinical trials are underway to explore newer potential treatment options with better outcomes. Focused Hepatology tumor clinics under Stephen Caldwell, MD, provide the starting point for patients undergoing evaluation and treatment for liver cancer.

Liver Transplantation

The Liver Transplant Program at the University of Virginia offers specialized care for patients with various liver diseases. Our multi-disciplinary team includes hepatologists, transplant surgeons, nurse coordinators, social workers, registered dietitians, pharmacists, and financial coordinators to help patients and their families navigate the transplant process. Our team is led by our Medical Director, Dr. Curtis Argo, and our Surgical Director, Dr. Shawn Pelletier.

Living Donor Transplantation

UVA is one of a few sites in the U.S. offering this novel and life-saving form of liver transplantation. Our transplant team includes hepatologists, surgeons, pathologists, radiologists, and specialty nurse coordinators. Patients are managed by a multidisciplinary team headed by Dr. Curtis Argo, the Medical Director of Living Donor Liver Transplantation, and Dr. Nico Goldaracena, the Surgical Director of Living Donor Liver Transplantation.

Alcohol-Related Liver Disease

UVA provides multidisciplinary care for individuals with alcohol-related liver disease, including those with alcoholic hepatitis as well as cirrhosis. In addition to giving liver care, our providers will discuss strategies for alcohol abstinence, including medications to help avoid alcohol and consultations with counselors or psychiatrists when appropriate. Also offered is a focused clinic for the management of alcohol-related liver disease in collaboration with addiction medicine physicians at UVA.

Portal Hypertensive Bleeding

At UVA, we have a multi-disciplinary team, including hepatologists, interventional radiologists, and interventional endoscopists committed to the diagnosis and treatment of life-threatening bleeding in patients with cirrhosis and non-cirrhotic portal hypertension. This team is led by Dr. Zachary Henry. It utilizes cutting-edge diagnostic tools and treatments, including endoscopic cyanoacrylate (glue) injection, TIPS (transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt), and BRTO (balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration).