Alcoholic Liver Disease

What is Alcoholic Liver Disease?

Alcoholic liver disease is caused by heavy use of alcohol. The liver breaks down alcohol, so if you drink more than it can process, your liver can become badly damaged.

There are three types, and many heavy drinkers progress through them over time:

Fatty liver, the most common alcohol-induced liver problem, refers to the buildup of fat inside the liver cells. This leads to an enlarged liver.
Alcoholic hepatitis is an acute inflammation of the liver. This causes liver cells to die, often followed by permanent scarring.
Alcoholic cirrhosis is the destruction of normal liver tissue, leaving scar tissue in place of working tissue.

Schedule an appointment with a UR Medicine provider.

Call (585) 275-4711

UR Medicine's Treatments for Alcoholic Liver Disease

The goal of treatment is to slow down the buildup of scar tissue and prevent or treat any problems that happen. Lifestyle changes, such as not drinking alcohol, can sometimes help improve the functioning of the liver. In severe cases, you may need a liver transplant.

Our Center for Liver Disease provides a complete range of liver disease services, including transplant and non-transplant liver care.

What Sets Us Apart?

As a multidisciplinary center, we have all the specialists you might need—including hepatologists, oncologists, rheumatologists, and others—without having to visit another center.

We offer a unique combination: world-class treatments in a center that is highly personal and accessible.

We’re able to see patients rapidly, often the very next day.
Our team-based decision-making approach expedites your care while involving doctors from many different disciplines.
We’re the only liver transplant center in the region.
Our doctors make a practice of following up on patients, often calling them between appointments.