Hepatology is the branch of medicine that focuses on the liver and conditions affecting the liver, gallbladder, pancreas and bile ducts.

Hepatology is a subsidiary division of gastroenterology and has developed into a medical field over the years, with subspecialties.

A specialized doctor, called a Hepatologist, is responsible for diagnosing and treating hepatic conditions. Some of the common disorders affecting the liver, for which a hepatologist is needed, are hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, liver diseases caused due to alcohol and liver cancer.

Hepatologists diagnose the intensity of hepatic diseases, and their spread to adjacent organs and devise a treatment plan to manage the disorder accordingly.