Lluís Castells Fusté is a doctor of medicine and surgery from the Autonomous University of Barcelona and a specialist in internal medicine and hepatology. Currently he is Head of the Internal Medicine-Liver Transplant Section at the Vall d’Hebron University Hospital in Barcelona and Associate Professor of Medicine at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. On the other hand, Dr. Castells assumed the position of president of Mutual Médica, after twelve years on the board of directors.
Dr Castells addresses OKSANTE about the latest advances in diseases such as hepatitis, its new treatments andWhat have been the most significant advances in hepatology in recent years.
Ask. -What are your main objectives as new president of Mutuelle Médica?
Answer.- As president of Mutuelle Médica, my objective is to consolidate our entity as the benchmark mutual that supports doctors throughout their professional and personal lives. To achieve this, I want to continue to strengthen digital transformation, in order to focus on the doctor to offer them more agile and personalized access to our services. Reinvestment in profits remains a key element for us: last year, we achieved a profit share of 7.1 million euros and we have also improved the coverage and services offered to our members.
Q.- What future challenges do you face in this new position?
A.- Mutuelle Médica faces the challenge of remaining at the forefront in an evolving medical context, which requires innovation and a constant commitment to the excellence of our services. In the digital domain, we are developing new tools to improve interaction and accessibility, such as extending the functionality of our Mutual Space. We also relaunched our physician retirement portal, which now includes a retirement simulator for better planning. At the same time, we strive to create high-value social coverage, such as insurance against attacks and insurance for cooperating doctors, which is accessible to mutual and non-mutual members, and which responds to the realities of medical practice. ‘Today. The challenge is therefore to continue to adapt to the needs of doctors at all stages of their lives, with an offer that truly improves their quality of life.
Q.- What are the benefits that Mutuelle Médica brings to the medical community?
A.- Mutuelle Médica offers the medical community coverage that goes well beyond traditional insurance. As a non-profit mutual managed by doctors and for doctors, we reinvest our profits into the group itself, generating a tangible impact in each of our products and services. Our savings and retirement insurance, for example, offers profit sharing and guaranteed interest, allowing doctors to plan their future with stability. In addition, as a social security mutual, we offer a set of social benefits, at no cost to the mutual member, such as financial assistance for birth or travel assistance insurance. And finally, as a third pillar, we offer, through the Fondation Mutuelle Médica, support programs for training and research, as well as for improving the health of doctors, which after all has a positive impact on the well-being of society in general. Mutuelle Médica was founded over a hundred years ago by doctors to take care of the community and this remains our sole reason for being today.
Q.- Concerning your position of Head of the Internal Medicine-Liver Transplantation Section of the Vall de Vall University Hospital HebronWhat are the most common liver diseases that you treat in your daily practice?
A.- In a Hepatology unit, the usual practice consists of the management and treatment of liver cirrhosis, whatever its etiology and its complications, such as ascites, hepatic encephalopathy or upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage due to rupture of esophageal varices. Additionally, it includes the diagnosis and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma, which is the most common liver tumor in patients with cirrhosis.
Q.- What have been the most significant advances in hepatology in recent years?
A.- Without a doubt, the greatest progress in recent years years has been the emergence of direct-acting antiviral drugs against the hepatitis C virus, thanks to its high efficiency and good tolerance. The widespread application of these treatments helped prevent disease progression in a large number of patients, minimizing the risk of decompensation of liver disease and improving patient prognosis.
Q.– ¿How do you approach the topic of liver transplantation in your practice? When do you think this is necessary?
A.- Liver transplantation represents the definitive treatment in patients with advanced liver cirrhosis or in those with hepatocellular carcinoma with portal hypertension. The indication for liver transplantation is established on the basis of well-established criteria and in a multidisciplinary manner.well, inside of the liver transplantation committee. In substanceindicated when the patient’s life expectancybecause of his disease, It is estimated that it is lower than what a liver transplant can offer.
Q. Finally, what perspective is there currently regarding the management of liver cancer?
A.- Regarding hepatocellular carcinoma, it is essential to strengthen screening programs in patients with liver cirrhosis, with the aim of detecting it in the early stages of the disease, while we can still offer treatments effective in healing it. When this is not possible, we have effective treatments that improve patient survival. In this sense, the introduction of immunotherapy in In recent years, as in other areas of oncology, it has represented a major advance in the care of these patients.
