City hospital combats liver cirrhosis with Western medicine-TCM combo

The combination of traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine is proving effective against chronic hepatitis and liver diseases.

Some foreigners and even Chinese living abroad are coming all the way to Shanghai for individualized therapy after visiting multiple hospitals, according to medical experts from Shanghai Yueyang Hospital, which has established a multidisciplinary clinic on TCM and Western Medicine to treat cirrhosis of the liver, including blocking and reversing it.

China has a large number of people with hepatitis, with more than 500,000 new patients being diagnosed with liver cirrhosis each year. Local medical experts have been studying liver disease treatment by using both Western medicine and TCM.

"Western medicine has standard anti-viral and liver caring therapy, while TCM has herbal soup which can help renovate cirrhosis patients' overall body function and reduce their symptoms," said Dr Zhu Junfeng, director of the hospital's liver disease department.

"Our hospital also has self-developed futie, herbal medicine applied to acupoints, to help patients relieve their ascitic fluid," he added. "Patients all show very good response."

Ascitic fluid refers to the abnormal buildup of fluid in the abdominal cavity, commonly associated with conditions like liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension.

Yang Huizi, an 80-year-old woman who has lived in the United States for over 20 years and on whom all previous Western therapy failed, came to Zhu for cirrhosis treatment.

"I was diagnosed with cirrhosis in 2020 and Western therapy, including surgery and medicine, failed to yield good results. Then I visited Dr Zhu, who offered me a combined therapy, and my indicators are now all stable," she said. "I have been following Zhu for over four years and visit him regularly. I have introduced my friends with liver disease from the US to Shanghai for treatment."

Viral hepatitis, chronic alcoholic liver disease, fatty liver disease, drug or toxicant, liver blood circulation disorder, inherited and metabolic disease, immunity disease and parasite infection can all cause cirrhosis. Other factors also include obesity, alcohol drinking, high blood fat, diabetes, health tonics and excess fatigue.

Cirrhosis can cause various complications, including ascitic fluid, hepatic encephalopathy and even liver cancer, impacting patients' life.

"An alarming sign is that more young people are being detected with cirrhosis. It is important to promote education on liver protection and early diagnosis and treatment," Zhu said. "The combination of Western medicine and TCM can bring hope for blocking and reversing cirrhosis. Over 60 percent of cases with early cirrhosis can be reversed based on medical articles."

"Cirrhosis prevention and control stems from early screening and diagnosis, proper treatment and long-term management. The combined therapy can offer precise and accurate anti-viral Western medicine and health care from TCM plus lifestyle renovation," he added.

Service time of Dr Zhu Junfeng

Tuesday mornings, Thursday afternoons and Friday mornings at the hospital's headquarters at 110 Ganhe Rd (甘河路110号)

Monday mornings and Wednesday afternoons at the hospital's VIP center at 44 Qinghai Rd (青海路44号)

Expat patients can send their medical reports by e-mail to Zhujftongling@163.com for consultation