Lucknow: In a significant milestone for hepatology services at King George’s Medical University (KGMU), the first-ever liver pressure measurement using Hepatic Venous Pressure Gradient (HVPG) was successfully performed in the Hepatobiliary Unit of the Department of Medicine.
The procedure was carried out by Dr. Sudhir Verma along with his dedicated team. The core medical team included Dr. Amit Anand, Prof. Vivek Kumar, Dr. Ajay Kumar Patwa, Dr. Sanjeev Verma, and Dr. Umang Maheshwari. The procedure was supported by Nursing Officers Manoj Gautam and Sheetal, with Seema Sonker as Nursing Incharge, and technical assistance from Akash Verma and Munna Gupta.
The patient was admitted to the Hepatobiliary Unit with Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure (ACLF) secondary to alcoholic hepatitis. HVPG measurement revealed a value of 17 mmHg, indicating clinically significant portal hypertension and placing the patient at high risk of variceal bleeding (hematemesis). Based on this objective hemodynamic assessment, the doses of drugs were appropriately optimized, enabling targeted, evidence-based management.
This landmark achievement marks the first time in the history of KGMU that direct liver pressure measurement has been performed. The introduction of HVPG measurement represents a major advancement in the evaluation and management of portal hypertension, allowing precise risk stratification, prognostication, and treatment optimization for patients with chronic liver disease.
Honourable Vice Chancellor Prof. Sonia Nityanand and Head of the Department of Medicine Prof. Virendra Atam congratulated the team for this historic achievement and appreciated their contribution toward strengthening advanced hepatology services at KGMU.
