Strategies to prevent liver disease discussed at HOMS’s First Clinical Hepatology Course

• More than 300 specialists took part in this training event.
• The formal opening of the country’s first Hepatology Unit was announced, along with the recent performance of the first hepatic vein catheterisation and transjugular biopsy.

Santo Domingo, 14 July. – National and international experts discussed a range of topics related to the prevention, early diagnosis and treatment of liver disease at the First Clinical Hepatology Course held in the country. More than 300 specialists took part in the training event, organised by the Hepatology Unit of the Digestive Studies Centre of the Hospital Metropolitano de Santiago (HOMS) together with the Gastroenterology and Hepatology Service of the Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro in Madrid.

“Most liver diseases have no symptoms, and when symptoms do appear it is at a very late stage. That is why we stressed the importance of adopting preventive strategies in every session. Early detection of these diseases allows us to address the underlying cause and reverse liver damage,” said Dr. José Luis Calleja, head of the Gastroenterology-Hepatology service at Hospital Puerta de Hierro in Madrid and an international adviser to HOMS.

The course programme covered the multidisciplinary approach to metabolic liver disease, viral hepatitis, liver cancer, screening, diagnosis and the most advanced treatments, such as hepatic catheterisation and hepatosplenic elastography.

First Hepatology Unit in the DR

Dr. Brígida Navarro, director of the HOMS Digestive Studies Centre, announced the formal opening of the first Hepatology Unit in the Dominican Republic, located at HOMS. The unit, directed by hepatologist Christie Perelló, is set to become a regional and national benchmark in the prevention and management of liver disease with state-of-the-art technology, and an attractive option for health tourists.

Speaking about the course, Dr. Navarro said that since its founding, as well as providing care, HOMS has built medical education and research into its mission. “We are dedicated to providing quality medicine for everyone, aware that progress depends on the continuous professional development of our doctors, constant technological updating and teamwork,” she explained.

First hepatic vein catheterisation

During the event, the director of the HOMS Hepatology Unit, Dr. Christie Perelló, said they had recently performed the first hepatic vein catheterisation and transjugular biopsy in the Dominican Republic at HOMS. She added that they offer a range of services covering the main liver conditions, with technology that places them at the forefront of their specialty.

The course, held at the convention centre of the HOMS Health and Wellness Center (HHWC) in Santiago, is intended to be held every year, and this first edition was endorsed by the Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM), the Dominican Society of Gastroenterology (SODOGASTRO), the Latin American Association for the Study of the Liver (ALEH) and the Spanish Association for the Study of the Liver (AEEH).

Dr. Perelló thanked the Digestive Studies Centre team, especially the course’s scientific committee: Drs. Brígida Navarro, Rebeca de León, Damián Tavárez, Miguel Contreras, Fernando Contreras and Rubén Rusell.

Renowned international hepatologists María Reig, Elba Llop, Graciela Castro, Javier Crespo, Agustín Albillos, Miguel Pastrana and Mario Pessoa spoke at the event.

Local specialists taking part included Drs. Christie Perelló, Héctor Sánchez Navarro, Kenia Torres, Mauricio Morel, Santiago García, Gloria Velázquez, Fernando Contreras and Nicole Peña.