Hepatitis C - Treatment in Germany
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Hepatitis C is a contagious liver disease that can range from a lifelong chronic disease to a short-term illness. The disease doesn’t present such great danger as only a few symptoms manifest. Nevertheless, the complications of this disease have tragic consequences. The asymptomatic course of the disease results in liver cirrhosis within several decades, an irreversible replacement of hepatic tissue with connective tissue, or hepatocellular carcinoma (malignant neoplasm).
Changes in the liver tissue are reversible on the condition that the affected person starts treatment on time and the habitual quality of life is restored. Unfortunately, healthcare systems in most countries have not yet reached the level where people with hepatitis C can receive immediate and adequate care. Therefore, many patients suffering from this disease are referred to German hospitals. Here advanced, high-quality care and treatment are available.
Content
- Benefits of hepatitis C treatment in Germany
- General diagnostics principles
- Choice of medications
- Surgical treatment of hepatitis C
- Where to have treatment?
- Arrangement of hepatitis C treatment in Germany
Benefits of hepatitis C treatment in Germany
Patients can have peace of mind when treated at a German hospital due to the high regulatory standard of healthcare that the government imposes. Sadly this does not compare to the standard of healthcare in developing countries.
Here are a few benefits of the German healthcare system:
- Confidence in a highly accurate diagnosis and treatment. All hospitals in Germany are well equipped. Here the patient can be sure of a sound health assessment.
- Empathetic and skilled medical staff. Doctors have a high standard of education in Germany. The most experienced specialists from all over the world come here to pursue their ambitions.
- Transparent pricing policy. The patient has the opportunity to plan the cost of therapy in advance and does not have to “buy additional” drugs in the process of ongoing treatment.
Let us dwell on some practical points.
General diagnostics principles
Diagnostics of Hepatitis C is vital but complicated as well. All the details are important: the stage of the process, the degree of the liver tissue infection, functional organ’s reserves and so on. Only at a modern hospital with a great facility, the necessary equipment required for the patients’ diagnostics, and the skilled doctors who can use such equipment can patients feel secure.
The following devices are used for the comprehensive diagnostics of hepatitis C:
- FibroTest and Fibromax to assess the inflammatory process and the degree of fibrotic changes
- Elastometry is performed with the same aim
- Genetic tests are conducted as a marker of the presupposed reaction to treatment
- There are also many serological markers showing the viral peculiarities and stage of its activity
Hospitals in developing countries usually don’t have such devices, or they are available in only a few hospitals. Sometimes, a patient is forced to move from one laboratory to another to get everything done. As we know, it takes time and energy. A patient suffering from hepatitis C undergoes diagnostics in only one place in Germany without any further movements.
Choice of medications
Not all countries adhere to international standards of treatment. This leads to the fact that a patient receives either unproven treatment from the point of drugs safety or medications with unproven efficacy.
The world renowned drugs implemented in clinical practice are always registered in the patient’s home country. That is why Hepatologists either don’t prescribe them at all or give prescriptions at their own risk and fear not being sure of its quality. Besides, a patient who is in pursuit of a more affordable price has a risk of buying generic medication. The wrong medication prescribed can cost a life. A patient can be a bit more confident that in a German hospital, he/she will receive only those medications recommended by the international protocols and certified.
Modern healthcare has a whole arsenal of antiviral agents that can kill the hepatitis C virus in a few months. For example, these are:
- Interferons of short and prolonged (pegylated) action
- Protease inhibitors
- Non-nucleoside polymerase inhibitors
Some drugs are already being used; others are in the final stage of clinical trials conducted in German hospitals. A patient undergoing treatment in a German hospital can also participate in ongoing clinical trials of the new medication on a volunteer basis and thus receive a completely new, highly effective means to cure hepatitis C.
Doctors often prescribe combinations of drugs for a pain free therapy of a particular patient which contains several active substances at a time.
Surgical treatment of hepatitis C
There are situations when a patient is referred to a German hospital too late when it’s impossible to stop the inflammatory process and restore the liver function. In such a case, a patient can be saved only with the help of liver transplantation surgery. This surgical intervention is complex for an unskilled surgeon because it requires certain skills and a technical base. Many liver transplantations are carried out annually in German clinics, so the skills of local surgeons are unquestionable.
Where to have treatment?
There are a lot of good healthcare institutions in Germany where a foreign patient can undergo diagnostics tests and treatment at an affordable price.
- Düsseldorf University Hospital operates a Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Infectious Diseases. All necessary research, including high-tech research, is carried out here. The stage of the pathological process is evaluated along with the function of the liver.
- Goethe University Hospital. You will find the best doctors in Germany in the Department of Gastroenterology, Pneumology and Endocrinology. One of the activities of the department is Hepatology. Here you can get effective therapy for hepatitis C and its complications.
- Charite University Hospital Berlin. The Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology accepts all patients, including foreign patients. In addition to diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis C, post-transplant patients can recover from liver transplantation after the surgery.
Arrangement of hepatitis C treatment in Germany
A patient can experience many unforeseen problems when arranging a trip for treatment in Germany. At the same time, one’s life can depend on it. To ensure that arrangement issues do not become an obstacle to a long and healthy life, Booking Health can take care of all your travel arrangements. Free yourself from all unnecessary worries and focus on treating the main issue; i.e. the viral hepatitis and restoring the liver function!
The benefits of working with BookingHealth Company are:
- We solve all the tasks associated with the choice of the hospital and trip arrangement.
- You don’t need to buy additional health insurance. The extent of the treatment and diagnostic procedures will be optimized to the maximum. It will help you to save up to 70% of the general program cost.
- You will receive a full-service package. We will provide you with an interpreter for oral and written translation, assist you in obtaining a visa, ensure transfers from the airport to the hospital.
- The cost of the chosen program is guaranteed and will not increase even in case of complications and necessary additional healthcare services.
Fill in the feedback form on our website to receive a free consultation from Booking Health manager. He/she will pick the best program due to the price and quality. Our consultant will get back to you within 24 hours after filling in the form.
Choose treatment abroad, and you will for sure get the best results!
Authors:
The article was edited by medical experts, board-certified doctors Dr. Nadezhda Ivanisova and Dr. Sergey Pashchenko. For the treatment of the conditions referred to in the article, you must consult a doctor; the information in the article is not intended for self-medication!
Sources:
NORD - National Organization for Rare Disorders
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