- With Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist
Michael F. Picco, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Michael F. Picco, M.D.
Michael F. Picco, M.D.
Dr. Michael Picco has been with Mayo Clinic since 1999. He is board certified in internal medicine and gastroenterology. Dr. Picco is an assistant professor of medicine at College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, and a consultant in gastroenterology at Mayo Clinic in Florida.
He has authored numerous publications in the area of gastroenterology, including original research, editorials and textbook chapters. He works with a team of gastroenterologists that takes care of complex gastrointestinal conditions and has a particular interest in diarrheal illnesses and inflammatory bowel diseases (ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease). He is also active in medical education in training new gastroenterologist and internists.
"Mayo Clinic's website is an invaluable resource for patients and their families," Dr. Picco said. "Informed patients are better able to participate in their own health care. A patient's participation is vital to the treatment of his or her disease. I hope to assist in helping patients understand their digestive problems and current treatments that are offered. This will allow for better communication between patients, their physicians and other health care professionals."
Dr. Picco serves as a reviewer of new research for several medical journals in the area of gastroenterology and is an active member of the American Gastroenterological Association, American College of Gastroenterology and the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America. He serves on numerous committees that address physician training, research and clinical practice in gastroenterology, both at Mayo Clinic and at the national level.
"Patients need to know about their disease, what to expect, the latest treatments and side effects so that they can make informed decisions about their health care. Gastrointestinal disease affects not only patients but also their families. My goal is to assure that our website provides accurate, reliable information and resources for patients. We must always provide the latest, most cutting-edge information to assist patients in dealing with their medical problems," Dr. Picco said.
Complications (1)
- Hepatitis C: What happens in end-stage liver disease?
About our e-newsletters
- Free e-newsletters
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- We do not share your e-mail address
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Housecall Archives
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Question
Hepatitis C: What happens in end-stage liver disease?
My brother has been told he has end-stage hepatitis C. What does this mean? What can we expect?
Answer
from Michael F. Picco, M.D.
End-stage hepatitis C means the liver has been severely damaged by the hepatitis C virus. The hepatitis C virus slowly damages the liver — often over the course of several decades. In some people, this long-term hepatitis C damage may eventually cause permanent scarring of the liver (cirrhosis). People with cirrhosis can go on to develop liver failure or liver cancer.
Signs and symptoms of end-stage liver disease or liver cancer may include:
- Fatigue
- Persistent or recurring yellowing of your skin and eyes (jaundice)
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
- Abdominal pain
- Abdominal swelling due to fluid accumulation (ascites)
In addition to liver failure or cancer, people with cirrhosis may also develop:
- Gastrointestinal bleeding due to enlarged veins in the esophagus (esophageal varices)
- Brain and nervous system damage due to the accumulation of toxins in the bloodstream (hepatic encephalopathy)
The treatment for people with end-stage liver disease is a liver transplant. During a liver transplant, the diseased liver is removed and is replaced with a healthy liver from a donor. Liver transplants most often use livers from deceased organ donors. In some cases, a living-donor liver transplant can be used. During a living-donor liver transplant, you receive only a portion of a healthy liver from a living donor.
Next questionHepatitis C: How common is sexual transmission?
- Barenguer M, et al. Hepatitis C. In: Feldman M, et al. Sleisenger & Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2006. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/179165321-7/0/1389/0.html. Accessed Jan. 20, 2010.
- Thomas DL, et al. Natural history of hepatitis C. Clinics in Liver Disease. 2005;9:383.
- Chronic hepatitis C: Current disease management. National Institute for Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/chronichepc. Accessed Jan. 21, 2010.
Find Mayo Clinic on