Makati Medical Center’s Endoscopy Unit has expanded and is now the Gastroenterology & Endoscopy Center. Under this new professional services organization name, the Liver Unit is being revived as MakatiMed’s response to an unmet need for liver disease services. Today, there exists a high burden of liver disease in the country with a significant number of Filipinos who are under-diagnosed and under-treated.
Hepatitis B affects 1 in 7 Filipino adults and is identified as the leading cause of liver cancer and cirrhosis. Fatty liver – due to the growing diabetes and obesity epidemic – is now also being recognized as an emerging cause of liver damage and cirrhosis. In addition, the silent killera that is liver cancer is the 2nd leading cause of cancer deaths among Filipinos.
All these can be prevented and treated with early diagnosis and intervention. MakatiMed recognizes an individual’s need to protect himself from these silent killers. The Liver Unit offers expert consultation, accurate screening, early diagnosis and treatment for the most common liver diseases such as viral hepatitis A to E, Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH), Alcoholic Liver Disease, Acute Liver Failure, Drug-induced Liver Injury (DILI), and benign and malignant liver tumors. It also offers early detection of liver fibrosis or liver damage through painless and non-invasive methods such as ultrasound shear wave elastography and the Fibrotest or LiverFast.
The Liver Unit also provides vaccinations against Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B through the MMC HealthHub. Patients can also avail themselves of Liver Wellness packages as part of their annual health check-up.
The Liver Unit is a venue for expert multi-disciplinary consultation—through its pool of specialists from the fields of Hepatology, Gastroenterology and Endoscopy, Medical and Surgical Oncology, Interventional Radiology and Hepatobiliary Surgery—for the treatment of complex liver conditions.
Ernesto G. Olympia, MD, Head of the MakatiMed Gastroenterology and Endoscopy Center, is very optimistic that “our patients will benefit from our advanced medical facilities and multi-disciplinary approach to the diagnosis and treatment of liver diseases”.
According to Eternity D. Labio, MD, Head of the Liver Unit, “We cannot live without our liver. At MakatiMed, we make sure that your liver is in good hands with expert care and the convenience you deserve.”
MakatiMed’s Gastroenterology & Endoscopy Center and the Liver Unit are located at the 2nd Floor Tower 2 of the Makati Medical Center. For more information, please contact 8888 999 locals 3211 to 3215, email mmc@makatimed.net.ph, or visit www.makatimed.net.ph.
Ernesto G. Olympia, MD (right), Head, Section of Gastroenterology and the Gastroenterology and Endoscopy Center; and Eternity Labio, MD, Head, Liver Unit (left)
