Hepatitis C

At Atrium Health Gastroenterology and Hepatology, our doctors specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of people living with hepatitis C. An infection caused by a virus that attacks the liver, hepatitis C can lead to liver damage and scarring called fibrosis.Hepatitis C also may lead to cirrhosis.

Diagnosis

Hepatitis C spreads from the blood infected person. Most people with hepatitis C do not have symptoms. To help diagnose the virus, we use:

• A blood test called an antibody test, which detects antibodies of the virus in the blood. A positive antibody test means a person has been infected with hepatitis C at some point.
• A blood test called hepatitis C RNA test. This test is performed when a patient tests positive for Hepatitis C antibodies to determine if they’re currently infected

Treatment

Treatment is curative in most cases. Treatment may take as few as eight weeks or up to 24 weeks. This depends upon:

• The hepatitis C genotype you are infected with
• If you have cirrhosis or how much scar tissue is in your liver
• Previous treatments, medications and medical problems 

In most cases, specialized treatments result in a cure 90-100 percent of the time. If the virus is undetected in your blood for at least three months after treatment, you will be considered cured.

Location

Morehead Medical Plaza
1025 Morehead Medical Drive, Suite 600
Charlotte, NC 28204
Phone: 704-355-6649
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