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Fatty Liver Center - Las Cruces, NM

Las Cruces Gastroenterologist Doctors for Fatty Liver

Type of Physician: Gastroenterologist

What is a Gastroenterologist?

A subspecialty certification by the Board of Internal Medicine; practitioners focus on the stomach, intestines, colon, liver, and gallbladder (digestive organs). The gastroenterologist treats conditions such as abdominal pain, ulcers, diarrhea, cancer, and jaundice and they consult with surgeons when abdominal operations are indicated.

Specialty: Gastroenterology

Common Name: GI Doctor

Gastroenterologist Doctors in Las Cruces *

Imad Idriss MD
Imad Idriss
2427 S Telshor Blvd
Las Cruces, NM 88011
(575) 522-1059

Digestive Disease Consultants
Thomas V Nattakom
2525 S Telshor Blvd
STE 104
Las Cruces, NM 88011
(575) 522-7697

Digestive Disease Consultants
Prasad V Podila
2525 S Telshor Blvd
STE 104
Las Cruces, NM 88011
(575) 522-7697

Gastroenterology of Alamogordo
Juergen Mueller
923 E 9th St
STE A
Alamogordo, NM 88310
(575) 437-2448

Las Cruces, New Mexico

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Fatty Liver

What are Fatty Liver, NAFLD, and NASH?

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) refers to a wide spectrum of liver disease ranging from simple fatty liver (steatosis), to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), to cirrhosis (irreversible, advanced scarring of the liver). All of the stages of NAFLD have in common the accumulation of fat (fatty infiltration) in the liver cells (hepatocytes). In NASH, the fat accumulation is associated with varying degrees of inflammation (hepatitis) and scarring (fibrosis) of the liver.

The term nonalcoholic is used because NAFLD and NASH occur in individuals who do not consume excessive amounts of alcohol. Yet, in many respects, the histological picture of NAFLD (when we look at a biopsy piece of liver under the microscope) is similar to what can be seen in liver disease that is due to excessive intake of alcohol. As we shall see, however, the clinical circumstances in NAFLD and NASH are very different from those in alcoholic liver disease (ALD).

What is the NAFLD spectrum?

The NAFLD spectrum is thought to begin with and progress from its simplest stage, called simple fatty liver (steatosis). That is, fatty liver is the initial abnormality in the spectrum of NAFLD. Simple fatty liver involves just the accumulation of fat in the liver cells with no inflammation or scarring. The fat is actually composed of a particular type of fat (triglyceride) that accumulates in tiny sacs within the liver cells. This accumulation of fat in liver cells is not the same as the fat cells (adipocytes) that constitute our body fat. Fatty liver is a harmless (benign) condition, which means that it, by itself, does not cause any significant liver damage.

The next stage and degree of severity in the NAFLD spectrum is NASH. Fortunately, only a fraction of patients with simple fatty liver will develop NASH. As mentioned, NASH involves the accumulation of fat in the liver cells as...

Recommended Reading Related to Fatty Liver

Ultrasound »

Introduction

While the patient's history and physical examination are the building blocks of making a medical diagnosis, the ability to peer inside the body can be a powerful tool. Ultrasound is an imaging technique that provides that ability to medical practitioners.

What is an ultrasound?

Ultrasound produces sound waves that are beamed into the body causing return echoes that are recorded to "visualize" structures beneath the skin. The ability to measure different echoes reflected from a variety of tissues allows a shadow picture to be constructed. The technology is especially accurate at seeing the interface between solid and fluid filled spaces. These are actually the same principles that allow SONAR on boats to see the bottom of the ocean.

What is ultrasonography?

Ultrasonography is body imaging using ultrasound in medical diagnosis. A skilled ultrasound technician is able to...

Emergency Contact for Las Cruces

  • In case of Emergency, call 911

Nearby Las Cruces Hospitals *

MountainView Regional Medical Center
4311 E Lohman Ave
Las Cruces, NM 88011
(575)556-7600

Memorial Medical Center
2450 S Telshor Blvd
Las Cruces, NM 88011
(505)522-8641

Mesilla Valley Hospital
3751 Del Rey Blvd
Las Cruces, NM 88012
(575)382-3500

Peak Psychiatric Hospital
5065 McNutt Rd
Santa Teresa, NM 88008
(505)589-3000

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