Ariel Jaffe, MD, is a board certified internist, gastroenterologist, and hepatologist who specializes in taking care of patients with advanced liver disease and liver cancer, many of whom are candidates for liver transplants.
“It’s an amazing thing to take care of people when they are at their most vulnerable,” Dr. Jaffe says. “If we can get them to transplant and give them a second chance at life, that’s very rewarding. If transplant is not an option, there are ways we can optimize their care and quality of life, making them as comfortable and as safe as possible.”
Dr. Jaffe says she was drawn to hepatology because of the complexities of liver disease. “Often patients with advanced liver disease have multiple medical problems involving a variety of organs, and I like the challenge of managing that and maintaining expertise in general internal medicine,” she says. “Another reason I love my field is that it requires multidisciplinary input and I am constantly working with colleagues in various departments including interventional radiology, oncology, and surgery, to name a few. It’s an extremely collaborative field and I love that aspect of it.”
Dr. Jaffe’s research is focused on outcomes for liver cancer. “It’s such an exciting time in our field. In the last few years we have not only seen a big change in the landscape of liver disease, but we have also developed many new medical therapies and have learned a lot about how to better treat our patients,” she says. “I hope with the ongoing efforts of my work that we will continue to improve care and become the leading center for treatment of liver disease and liver cancer.”
