Giloy was India’s pandemic immunity booster — and for 43 patients across 13 centres, the trigger of an autoimmune-like hepatitis. Dr Chetan Kalal, a co-author of that study, explains what it showed and who should be careful.
A new cirrhosis diagnosis is not an emergency, but the first month decides a great deal. Dr Chetan Kalal lays out the week-by-week plan — cause, staging, variceal screening, diet, vaccines, surveillance and when to think about transplant.
Which everyday medicines genuinely harm the liver — paracetamol above its ceiling, anti-inflammatories in cirrhosis, amoxicillin-clavulanate, TB drugs, herbal and bodybuilding supplements — and why the statin fear is a myth. By hepatologist Dr Chetan Kalal, Gleneagles Hospital Mumbai.
Intermittent fasting reduces liver fat in randomised trials — but no better than ordinary calorie restriction, and never in cirrhosis. Dr Chetan Kalal grades the evidence for 16:8, 5:2, alternate-day and Ramadan fasting, and names who should not fast.
The problem is rarely the wrong doctor — it is the wrong timing. Dr Chetan Kalal on when a gastroenterologist is the right first call, the red flags that need a hepatologist, and what “liver transplant specialist” actually means.
The best living liver donor is the safest one, not the first to volunteer. Dr Chetan Kalal explains how a liver donor match is determined — blood group, graft and remnant volume, liver fat, fitness and an independent psychological assessment — with two cases from his practice.
Most liver disease is silent until late, so the useful question is not “do I have symptoms” but “what is my risk”. Hepatologist Dr Chetan Kalal gives a ten-question self-check, explains the FIB-4 score in plain language, and sets out who needs a FibroScan and who should be tested for hepatitis B and C.
Exercise clears liver fat even when the scale does not move, and in cirrhosis it defends the muscle that predicts survival. Dr Chetan Kalal on the 150-minute dose, aerobic versus resistance training, safety with varices and ascites, prehabilitation before transplant, and the protein that makes it work.
Hepatic encephalopathy is the complication of cirrhosis that families notice first. Dr Chetan Kalal explains the West Haven grades, the triggers, the treatment principles, the protein myth and when recurrent encephalopathy should prompt a transplant evaluation.
A transplant evaluation asks two questions — does this patient need a new liver, and can they survive and benefit from one. Dr Chetan Kalal explains why each system is tested, and how a finding during evaluation can change the timing without changing the destination.
About
Dr. Chetan Kalal is a DM Hepatologist with 15+ years of experience in managing liver diseases, advanced liver conditions and liver transplant-related care. He currently serves as Associate Director, Hepatology & Liver Transplant at Gleneagles Hospital, Mumbai.
Reach Out To Us
Phone: +91-83294 76669
Email: dr.chetankalal@gmail.com
Location: OPD 205, Gleneagles Hospital, Dr Ernest Borges Road, Opp. Shirodkar High School, Parel East, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400012,
Dr Chetan Ramesh Kalal · MBBS, MD (Medicine), DM (Hepatology) · Reg. No. 2007/04/0848, Maharashtra Medical Council
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DM Hepatology (ILBS, New Delhi) · MD Medicine (Seth GS Medical College & KEM Hospital, Mumbai) · first DM hepatologist of Maharashtra · Associate Director, Hepatology & Liver Transplant, Gleneagles Hospital Mumbai
Dr. Kalal is a hepatologist and liver transplant physician in Mumbai. He sees patients at five locations across the city:
Appointments and second opinions: +91 83294 76669 · WhatsApp · Online video consultation available. ORCID 0000-0002-5284-7890
