Throughout its history of more than 75 years, VA has funded critical research that has led to many medical advancements instrumental to the agency’s primary goal: to honor America’s Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being.
A recent VA Houston study published in Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics found that hepatitis C positive organs are a safe and effective option for most transplant candidates. Newer antiviral drugs have made it possible for patients to be successfully treated for hepatitis C infections transmitted via organ transplant.
At the Dallas VA, a new weapon in the fight against cancer in the Veteran population was recently unveiled. Selective Internal Radiation Therapy (SIRT) was performed on a Veteran with liver cancer.
VA has tested 85% of Veterans born 1945-1965 (at higher risk for hepatitis C) and more than 75% of Veterans age 18-79 for hepatitis C.
Called bacteriophages, or phages, these viruses cannot infect human cells. Phages are incredibly diverse and exist everywhere in the environment, including in our bodies; in fact, humans contain more phages than human cells.
Father and son doctors at Salem VA began their journeys into medicine from different starting points. Son, a Navy Veteran: “VA? I’d be working with dad!”
The results could lead to health benefits for Veterans, according to Morgan. First, he explains, “we may be able to better identify patients who are more likely to develop alcoholic cirrhosis if they continue to drink alcohol regularly based on their genetics. The VA and the Veteran might benefit from extra efforts to get such patients to stop drinking.”
After more than five years with liver cirrhosis, Army Veteran received the gift of life – a portion of liver from his stepdaughter, Alyssa Last. VA’s first living-donor liver transplant.
Many groundbreaking methods, procedures, and diagnostic tools can trace their origins back to VA innovation.
A terminally ill Veteran in Philadelphia wanted to go home…to Centerville, Ohio. Three VA firemen made his last journey possible.
Critically ill Veteran needed a triple organ transplant – a procedure so rare U.S. doctors had performed just 24 in the last 30 years. Two transplant requests were denied so he needed a miracle.
In the 40 years since, HIV and AIDS treatment and prevention has come so far. VA is currently part of the Ending the HIV Epidemic Initiative which aims to reduce new HIV infections by 75% by 2025.