Overview

During your visits to the UNC liver center, you will receive individualized attention from a team of healthcare providers. They will design a management plan for you based on your particular needs and concerns.

The initial evaluation is designed to confirm the diagnosis of hepatitis C and to determine the impact of the disease on your daily activities. A thorough medical history, physical examination, and blood tests are all important parts of the evaluation. We will also begin the process of educating you about hepatitis C, possibly challenging some of the myths about the disease that you may have heard. In particular, we will discuss the way hepatitis C is transmitted and reassure you about the generally mild course of hepatitis C infection. We will inquire about certain lifestyle habits that can be changed in order to minimize the damage to your liver from hepatitis C. One of the most important items that we will discuss is discontinuing drinking alcohol because of its negative effects on disease progression and response to treatment.

Once it has been confirmed that you have chronic hepatitis C (usually after your first appointment at UNC), your doctors may ask that you have a liver biopsy to determine the current condition of your liver. The results of the liver biopsy will help you and your physicians understand the prognosis of your liver disease. It may also influence our recommendations about the best course of therapy depending upon the extent of liver damage. The procedure of liver biopsy is explained elsewhere on this site.