The Rush Approach to Hepatology Services
Liver disease is complicated. But our expert team of hepatologists are leaders in diagnosing and managing liver conditions, from the common to the complex.
Our liver specialists treat all forms of liver disease, with particular expertise in managing obesity, cirrhosis and liver cancer, as well as patients who need a liver transplant.
We make it convenient for you to get started on a course of treatment that will improve your quality of life as quickly as possible. With evening and weekend appointments available at many locations in Chicago and the suburbs, our physicians can usually see new patients within a week — and often sooner.
Rush Excellence in Hepatology Services
- Expertise in weight management and liver disease: If you have liver disease and need to lose weight, we offer specialized support to help you reach your goals. Our team includes physicians and advanced practice providers who have achieved or are actively pursuing their obesity medicine certifications through the American Board of Obesity Medicine.
- Non-invasive tests and treatments: Radiologists at Rush offer tests that can assess your liver without the need for a biopsy. This includes transient elastography — such as FibroScan and acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging — as well as magnetic resonance elastography. If you have advanced liver disease, our radiologists can perform nonsurgical treatment such as the transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) procedure to improve blood flow in your liver, ease swelling in your abdomen and improve your survival.
- Targeted treatments for liver cancer: Through our close partnership with radiologists at Rush, we offer radioembolization, a type of radiation that minimizes damage to healthy tissues. We also offer a form of chemotherapy called chemoembolization that delivers cancer-killing drugs directly to your tumor to reduce your potential side effects.
- Liver transplantation outcomes: If you are waiting for a new liver, our liver transplant program at Rush University Medical Center has some of the best survival rates of any hospital in Chicago and in Illinois. Our one-year patient survival rate for liver transplants is 94%, according to the January 2020 report from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR). Our liver transplant surgeons will work with you to address every aspect of your care before and after your transplant.
- Your resource for a second opinion, in-person or via telehealth: Our liver specialists can make sure you understand all possible treatment options for your liver disease before you have surgery or another therapy elsewhere. Our goal is to help you feel confident that you're making the best decision for your health.