Hepatology is the branch of medicine concerned with liver, gallbladder, biliary tree and pancreas, as well as the study of and treatment of related conditions.

Disorders and diseases relating to viral hepatitis and alcohol are the most common reasons for seeking specialist advice.

Did you know?

• Two and a half pints of blood pass through your liver every single second
• Alcohol abuse is the most common cause of liver damage, followed by hepatitis C and primary biliary cirrhosis
• In the UK around 600-700 liver transplants are performed each year
• The first liver transplant was carried out in 1963
• Haemangioma is a benign tumour in the liver. This condition is very common and affects around three in every one hundred people. In most cases these tumours do not cause any problems. However, occasionally they can grow quite large, which can cause discomfort. If this does occur it may be necessary for the tumour to be removed
• On average, 450 people are on the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust waiting list for a transplant at any one time
• Those from an Asian background are more likely to need a liver transplant. Whilst only 4% of the population is Asian, those from an Asian background comprise 6% of those on the transplant list. This is largely due to the fact that viral hepatitis (hepatitis B and C), which can lead to liver damage and liver failure, is more prevalent amongst the Asian population
• Around 350 million people are carriers of hepatitis B
• Around 400 people in the UK die each year waiting for a liver transplant
• Up to 80% of cancers can be attributed to hepatitis B and C