Notice
Road and parking lot construction in Madison, Wis. may result in travel delays and route changes to UW Health clinic and hospital locations. Please plan accordingly.Read more
Road and parking lot construction in Madison, Wis. may result in travel delays and route changes to UW Health clinic and hospital locations. Please plan accordingly.Read more
Overview
Your liver plays a significant role in keeping you healthy.
Digestion and the clotting of your blood depend on it. It’s also essential for energy storage and the removal of toxins from your blood. When your liver’s not working well, your health will suffer.
You can depend on UW Health to provide expert care for all types of liver conditions. We offer advanced imaging, innovative treatments and a team of skilled and caring providers. Whether you’re dealing with a genetic disorder, an infection, cancer or liver failure, we make sure you get the care you need from diagnosis and beyond.
Conditions
Many different conditions — cancerous and noncancerous — can affect your liver.
Bile duct cancer
Liver metastases (cancer that spreads to the liver from elsewhere in the body)
Primary liver cancer (cancer that starts in the liver)
Alcoholic liver disease
Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency
Benign liver tumors
Cirrhosis/end-stage liver disease
Hemochromatosis
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis C
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Primary biliary cholangitis
Primary sclerosing cholangitis
Wilson’s disease
Treatments and research
Your diagnosis guides your treatment. At UW Health, a team of experts will be involved in your care. Their combined expertise helps you receive individualized therapies that are best for you and your illness.
If you have cancer, you’ll have all the resources of the UW Carbone Cancer Center to support you. The center is Wisconsin’s only comprehensive cancer center. This designation comes from the National Cancer Institute and speaks to the high level of care we provide.
Specific treatments we offer include:
Chemoembolization
Cryoablation
Hepatic arterial regional chemotherapy
Liver resection (removal or a portion of your liver)
Microwave ablation
Minimally invasive hepatectomy (removal of a portion of your liver)
Portal vein embolization
Radiation therapy
Radiofrequency ablation
Two-stage hepatectomy
Learn more about our treatments for liver cancer
For some noncancerous conditions, we might advise changing your diet, losing weight or avoiding alcohol as a first step. Medication can be an option as well.
For other conditions, innovative therapies or surgery may be recommended. We offer several minimally invasive procedures. They often result in less pain and have shorter hospital stays than traditional treatments. We find what will work best for you.
Specific treatments we offer include:
Blood removal
Liver cyst fenestration
Liver resection
Medication
Nutrition therapy
Improving treatments for liver disease is an important part of our work at UW Health. We regularly conduct research and clinical trials. These trials help us test new therapies. To learn more, contact the GI and Hepatology Clinical Research Office at (608) 263-4185.
Research also takes place through the UW Carbone Cancer Center. We look for better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat liver cancer. Learn more about our cancer clinical trials
Meet our team
At UW Health, hepatologists and gastroenterologists focus on liver health. They might also work with radiologists, pathologists and liver surgeons. Medical oncologists and radiation oncologists often have roles in the care of people with liver cancer.
Locations
We treat liver conditions at the Digestive Health Center, the UW Carbone Cancer Center, University Hospital, and various clinics in the region.
Patient resources
We offer a large selection of informational resources and programs to help you deal with liver disease.
Certain liver conditions run in families. Our genetic counselors can help you learn more about your family risk. That will help you make sure those close to you take the right steps to protect their health.
Through UW Health Integrative Health, we offer several services to help you get through your treatment. These include acupuncture, massage therapy, mindfulness-based stress reduction and more.
These resources provide more information about liver cancer prevention and resources we offer patients at UW Health
The following can help you learn more about noncancerous liver conditions: