Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C care at Mayo Clinic

Your Mayo Clinic care team

Mayo Clinic's hepatitis C care teams include doctors trained in liver disease (hepatologists), specialists in infectious disease, diagnostic radiologists and pathologists, and if necessary, liver transplant experts in medical and surgical subspecialties. Rounding out the team are advanced-practice nurses, physician assistants and other allied health professionals, some of whom care only for patients with hepatitis C.

These experts communicate with one another to coordinate your appointments, streamline the diagnostic process and design a plan of care that meets your needs. Your care team also monitors your condition as during treatment, adjusting as needed.

Advanced diagnosis and treatment

Mayo Clinic has taken part in many research trials of the newest hepatitis C treatments. So, at Mayo Clinic, you have access to the latest advances in hepatitis C diagnosis and treatment, including:

• Noninvasive testing. Imaging tests that measure liver stiffness, which shows that there is liver damage and how bad it is, have largely replaced liver biopsy in looking at hepatitis C-related liver damage and checking the effects of antiviral treatment. These two tests, magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) and transient elastography, cause no pain. They also are safer than a liver biopsy, which carries a small risk of bleeding or injury inside the body. Sometimes, either test also might give a more precise measure of liver damage than does a liver biopsy. The MRE technique was developed at Mayo Clinic.
• New medicines. Researchers at Mayo Clinic have made large contributions to clinical trials of direct-acting antiviral medicines in chronic hepatitis C. These trials involved patients with cirrhosis; patients with hepatitis B and HIV, which make hepatitis C worse, and patients who have less-common hepatitis C genotypes.

Pediatric expertise

Children make up a small number of those diagnosed with hepatitis C every year. The most common cause of hepatitis C in children is getting it from the mother before birth. However, the rate of hepatitis C is increasing among older children. This likely is due to the rise of illegal drug use.

Specialists in the Pediatric Liver Clinic at Mayo Clinic's campus in Minnesota are experienced in diagnosing children who have liver diseases, including hepatitis C. Nurses trained in treating children and adolescents staff the unit. Child-life specialists help you and your child deal with feelings about illness, medical procedures and hospital care.

The Mayo Clinic experience and patient stories

Our patients tell us that the quality of their interactions, our attention to detail and the efficiency of their visits mean health care like they've never experienced. See the stories of satisfied Mayo Clinic patients.

Expertise and rankings

Care teams at Mayo Clinic's three campuses treat around 1,600 people with hepatitis C each year.

Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, ranks No. 1 for digestive disorders in the U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals rankings. Mayo Clinic in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona, and Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, are ranked among the Best Hospitals for digestive disorders by U.S. News & World Report. Mayo Clinic Children's Center in Rochester is ranked the No. 1 hospital in Minnesota, and the five-state region of Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin, according to U.S. News & World Report's 2023–2024 "Best Children's Hospitals" rankings.

Locations, travel and lodging

Mayo Clinic has major campuses in Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona; Jacksonville, Florida; and Rochester, Minnesota. The Mayo Clinic Health System has dozens of locations in several states.

For more information on visiting Mayo Clinic, choose your location below:

Costs and insurance

Mayo Clinic works with hundreds of insurance companies and is an in-network provider for millions of people.

In most cases, Mayo Clinic doesn't require a physician referral. Some insurers require referrals or may have additional requirements for certain medical care. All appointments are prioritized on the basis of medical need.

Learn more about appointments at Mayo Clinic.

Please contact your insurance company to verify medical coverage and to obtain any needed authorization prior to your visit. Often, your insurer's customer service number is printed on the back of your insurance card.