Hepatitis C

Overview

Hepatitis C is an infection caused by a virus that attacks your liver and leads to inflammation. Hepatitis C, which is passed through contact with contaminated blood, causes few signs and symptoms. People with hepatitis C may not know they have the virus until liver damage is detected. Hepatitis C treatment involves medications to eliminate or reduce the presence of the virus in your body. If severe liver damage occurs, you may need a liver transplant.

Why choose Mayo Clinic for hepatitis C

• Testing expertise. Mayo has sophisticated testing to identify which genetic type of virus you have and your genetic predisposition to respond to therapy — so that therapy can be tailored to your needs. Mayo has also developed a new test, magnetic resonance elastography, which can noninvasively detect early changes in your liver tissue.
• Team approach. Mayo Clinic doctors trained in liver disease (hepatologists) work with specialists in infectious disease, transplantation and other specialties to care for people who have hepatitis C. Children with advanced liver disease are treated by a team of specialists, including pediatric hepatologists, at the Eugenio Litta Children's Hospital in Rochester, Minn.
• Experience. Mayo Clinic specialists are experienced in managing the complex drug treatments for hepatitis C. If you need a liver transplant, Mayo Clinic's liver transplant program is one of the largest in the world.
• New approaches. You have access to experimental treatments continually being studied by Mayo clinician researchers.

Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., ranks No. 1 for digestive disorders in the U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals rankings. Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Ariz., and Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla., are ranked high performing for digestive disorders by U.S. News & World Report.

Why Choose Mayo Clinic
What Sets Mayo Clinic Apart

Read more about the diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis C.