Contact Information for physicians/patients
hepatologia(at)chuc.min-saude.pt
Particular rare liver disease expertise of the centre
- Acute Liver Failure (including neonatal hemochromatosis and neonatal acute liver failure)
- Neonatal Cholestasis / Biliary Atresia / Genetic Cholestasis
- Alpha-1-Antitrypsin Deficiency / Metabolic liver diseases / Wilson’s Disease
- Biliary and vascular congenital malformative disorders
- Autoimmune liver diseases (AIH, ASC, SC, Overlap)
- Chronic viral hepatitis / NASH / NAFLD
- Vascular liver disorders / Hepatic tumours (liver transplant assessment)
ERN Representatives
-
Isabel Gonçalves
Coordinator of Paediatric Hepatology and Liver Transplant Unit (UHTHP)
-
Sandra Ferreira
ERN Team and Contact
Isabel Gonçalves, MD
20743(at)chuc.min-saude.pt
Sandra Ferreira, MD
sandraferreira(at)chuc.min-saude.pt
João Madaleno, MD (Transition Clinic)
joaomadaleno(at)chuc.min-saude.pt
Centre information
The Paediatric Hepatology and Liver Transplant Unit is part of the Paediatric Department of Coimbra Hospital and University Center (CHUC). Together with the Adult Liver Transplant Center of CHUC, it is also part of one of three National Reference Centers for Liver Transplant (Coimbra, Oporto and Lisbon).
This Unit is home to the only paediatric liver transplant programme in the country, created in 1994 and since then, it has been covering all national needs in liver transplant, acute liver failure and decompensated chronic liver disease in patients under 18 years old (population 1.729.000).
For other liver disorders, the Liver Unit is connected and supports a group of regional primary/secondary paediatric care centers and the national paediatric gastroenterologists network, covering a population of around 300.000 people under 18 years old.
Facilities include a four bed ward (four individual bedrooms), fully equipped for close monitoring and management of patients in the first week post liver transplant, stable acute liver failure (before grade III encephalopathy) or decompensated chronic patients (ACLF).
The medical team includes three paediatric hepatologists, (in charge of the ward, outpatient clinic and on call services), and transplant surgeons of both paediatric and adult units.
A dedicated team of specialised nurses and several workers support the children and their families (e.g. psychologists, social workers, teachers, early educators).
The liver team works closely with several paediatric subspecialities, such as Intensive Care, Gastroenterology, Metabolics, Medical Genetics, Oncology, Haematology, Nephrology, Pathology and Radiology.