Shannan Tujios, M.D.

Meet Dr. Tujios

Liver Disease Specialist in Dallas

UT Southwestern Medical Center gastroenterologist and hepatologist Dr. Shannan Tujios specializes in evaluating and treating a broad range of liver diseases – from chronic viral hepatitis, fatty liver disease, and autoimmune liver disease to metabolic conditions, portal hypertension, and all types of liver cirrhosis (scarring).

Dr. Tujios also manages patients with end-stage liver disease, evaluates them for liver transplant, and cares for them post-transplant.

“Liver disease affects patients of all ages, and there’s a variety of conditions and severity,” she says.

“It’s really satisfying to see people with early-stage diseases be cured by eradicating or suppressing their underlying conditions. And then, it’s also very gratifying to be able to take patients that have end-stage liver disease and offer transplant as a potential solution.”

Because liver disease impacts the whole body and can overlap with related conditions, Dr. Tujios stresses the importance of UT Southwestern’s multidisciplinary team.

“Caring for patients with liver disease requires a multidisciplinary approach because everyone brings something different to the table,” she says. “My colleagues and I work closely with specialists that include endocrinologists, infectious disease doctors, nutritionists, transplant surgeons – even addiction psychiatrists, in cases where patients with alcohol-related liver disease wish to address their alcohol use.”

Partnering with Patients

Fellowship trained and board certified in internal medicine, gastroenterology, and transplant hepatology, Dr. Tujios enjoys the patient-education part of her work.

“Everybody has a different level of interest and knowledge, but I find that if patients understand a bit about their conditions and why certain things are happening, they’re more likely to follow our recommendations and get better,” she says.

She also takes seriously the role she plays in patients’ lives.

“I treat patients as if they’re an extension of my family and always try to do the best I can for them,” Dr. Tujios says. “People trust physicians to be in their lives and care for them – sometimes when they’re at their most vulnerable – and that’s not something I take lightly.”