Methodist Health System | Methodist Dallas Medical Center | Shine | Summer 2015

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10 physicians and surgeons
are here to serve
603
people have received liver
transplants since 2003*
*as of April 21, 2015
85 %
90%
to
Our 2014 hepatitis C
cure rates were
Methodist Dallas Medical Center • ❁ Summer 2015 13
Peggy Routt somehow had to find hope.
Being caught off guard by a dual diagnosis
of liver cancer and hepatitis C had been hard
enough. But then to learn that the disease had
destroyed her liver was devastating.
Today Peggy knows her hope paid off.
A surprise diagnosis
Back in spring 2011, Peggy couldn’t make
it to her upstairs apartment without nearly
collapsing. Afraid she was experiencing heart
problems, she went to an urgent care center in
her hometown of San Angelo, which in turn
sent her to a hospital emergency department.
“I was surprised to learn how sick I was,”
Peggy says. “The hospital gave me six pints
of blood because I was bleeding internally. I
barely had any blood left.”
The bleeding had been caused by cirrhosis
of the liver, which causes blood vessels to dilate.
After being referred to a gastroenterologist,
Peggy learned that the cirrhosis was caused by
untreated hepatitis C. To make matters worse,
she also had liver cancer.
The gastroenterologist immediately referred
her to The Liver Institute at Methodist Dallas
Medical Center to seek the expert care of
Parvez Mantry, MD, medical director of
The Institute’s research and hepatobiliary
tumor program.
Together we’re better
At The Liver Institute, Peggy found a strong
team of clinicians focused on providing her
with multidisciplinary, collaborative, and long-
term care.
They treated her liver cancer, and on Jan. 7,
2012, she had a liver transplant, performed by
transplant surgeon Alejandro Mejia, MD, to
replace her disease-damaged liver.
With cancer behind her and her new liver
working flawlessly, The Liver Institute team
now had to treat her hepatitis C. Only months
after the transplant, the bloodstream disease
had flared up again, leading to liver failure.
Peggy was placed on the waiting list for a
second liver transplant.
New treatment leads to cure
Despite these setbacks, Peggy maintained a
positive attitude. New treatments were being
introduced, and Dr. Mantry placed Peggy on
an off-label treatment.
“We have several clinical trials in new
treatments for hepatitis C and are fortunate
to have a team of providers well-trained
and experienced in managing patients on
complicated regimens,” Dr. Mantry says.
“I knew the potential benefits of these new
treatments, including their milder side
effects and shorter treatment times — only
24 weeks as opposed to years. We eventually
cured Peggy of hepatitis C — and saved her
transplanted liver.”
She did not need a second transplant
after all.
“The Liver Institute is leading the country
with hepatitis C treatments,” Dr. Mantry
says. “We are also treating and curing patients
with cirrhosis, saving them from needing
liver transplants.”
A month following Peggy’s transplant,
her seventh grandchild, a grandson, was
born. Today she is grateful to be alive, well,
and with her loved ones, including those
grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
“I’m looking forward to seeing my grandson
grow up,” Peggy says. “I always believed
I’d beat this disease, and I did because of
Dr. Mantry and The Liver Institute.”
At The Liver
Institute
16 clinical
trials are
underway
You’ve come to
the right place
Peggy Routt found a one-stop shop for liver treatment
at Methodist Dallas