From left: Head of the ADL Unit, Nicolas Clark, gastroenterologist Sina Alexander, addiction medicine physician Matthew Frei, program manager Leanne Prochazka, clinical consultant Ros Burnett and addiction medicine registrar Frank Giorlando.
By Shaun Inguanzo
DANDENONG is home to a Victorian-first alcohol-related liver disease unit (ALD) to treat patients who continue their addiction while ill.
The ALD unit is the latest addition to Southern Health’s addiction unit at Dandenong Hospital, headed by Dr Nicolas Clark, and will complement traditional liver treatment by helping those addicted or dependent on alcohol to curb the habit.
ALD unit consultant Dr Matthew Frei said the unit would ‘help reduce and cease drinking for those who have liver disease.
“There tends to be a number of people (with ALD) who have difficulty controlling their intake of alcohol, I guess you could call it and addiction, or alcohol dependence,” he said.
“We have got three doctors, consisting of two consultants and a registrar, a dedicated nurse and we also have an inventory of gastroenterologists.”
Aside from prescribing medicines to kick the addictions, Dr Frei said a level of non-pharmaceutical treatment, such as counselling, was also provided to patients.
But he said the ALD unit would work in harmony with traditional liver specialists, not become a replacement.
Dr Frei said each unit had its speciality, and while the ALD would not cover traditional liver-related practices, such as performing liver biopsies, it would offer skills in helping people recover from addictions.
