UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Center for Liver Disease

About

The Center for Liver Disease is a multidisciplinary treatment center, offering a comprehensive approach to the diagnosis and management of liver disease. We provide an outpatient liver clinic and liver transplantation support while working closely with referring physicians. The center is committed to caring for all patients, regardless of financial status and participates in many insurance plans.

Specific Services

• Liver testing with Fibroscan, a service of Iowa Methodist Medical Center
• Treatment of Hepatitis  
• Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH)
• Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)
• Pre- & Post-Operative Care for Liver Transplants

Fibroscan

FibroScan, a service of Iowa Methodist Medical Center, uses a technology called vibration-controlled transient elastography. It works much like an ultrasound in that it uses sound waves to measure the degree of scarring (fibrosis) that's present in the liver.

A FibroScan examination typically takes 10 minutes or less, during which you:

• Lie on your back with your right arm raised above your head
• Have gel applied to your skin by a clinician
• Have the FibroScan probe placed on your right side over the liver
• Get your degree of liver fibrosis measured

The interpreted test results are provided to your provider. The test can be repeated to monitor your management. For additional information or to schedule an appointment call (515) 241-4176.

Liver Disease Multidisciplinary Team

The multidisciplinary Liver Disease Committee works together as a team to help patients fight liver disease and live healthier lives. As part of our Center for Liver Disease, the multidisciplinary Liver Disease Committee is a team of physicians, nurse practitioners and nurses from surgical oncology, medical oncology, hepatology, gastroenterology, transplant surgery and interventional radiology.

The Liver Disease Committee meets several times each month. During these times, liver disease patient cases are presented and discussed with formal recommendations made based on the consensus of the committee. The committee is designed to work closely with referring physicians and supplement their care by offering specialized consultation and assessment. We also offer advanced consultative case review for complicated liver disease patients to physicians across Iowa.

Partnering Providers

UnityPoint Health – Des Moines Center for Liver Disease is pleased to partner with Nebraska Medicine to offer patients specialized care close to home. Nebraska Medicine gastroenterologists Fedja Rochling, MD, and Marco Olivera-Martinez, MD, specialize in the management of advanced liver disease and liver transplantation. Dr. Rochling and Dr. Olivera-Martinez will see patients in the Center for Liver Disease outpatient clinic every Friday.

For patient referrals or consultations, please call (515) 241-4044.

Our Outreach Clinics

To better serve our patients, we have two outreach clinics. Call (515) 241-4044 to schedule an appointment at one of our outreach locations.

• UnityPoint Health - Grinnell Multi-Specialty Clinic
• Clarke County Hospital