Liver Transplant in India — World-Class Care in Mumbai
India has quietly become one of the most sought-after destinations for liver transplantation — not because of cost alone, but because of the calibre of surgeons and hepatologists managing these cases. At Gleneagles Hospital Mumbai, Dr. Chetan Kalal leads transplant hepatology with over 1,500 procedures, training from ILBS New Delhi under Prof S.K. Sarin, and active membership on the APASL AARC working group. International patients receive the same rigorous evaluation and post-transplant follow-up as any patient in the programme — with the added convenience of structured remote consultations before and after travel.
Why Patients Choose Dr. Chetan Kalal
1,500+ Liver Transplants
Over fifteen years of transplant hepatology at high-volume centres. Experience with high-MELD cases, ACLF-bridge-to-transplant, and living donor programmes that most centres won’t accept.
APASL AARC Working Group
Member of the Asia-Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver’s Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure Research Consortium — the body that defines ACLF criteria and management standards for Asia.
26 PubMed-Indexed Publications
Active researcher. Principal investigator on the MAHAL RCT (acute liver failure). Research directly informs how complex transplant candidates are managed in this programme.
Telemedicine Before and After
Pre-transplant workup review, MELD scoring, and post-discharge follow-up can all be conducted via video. Reports reviewed within 48 hours of submission. Time zone–adapted scheduling for UAE, UK, USA, Canada, and Southeast Asia.
Patients We Serve
UAE, Gulf & Middle East
Large NRI and expatriate community in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, and Bahrain regularly seek liver transplant evaluation in India. Direct flights to Mumbai from all Gulf cities. Coordination with local physicians for pre-travel workup available.
UK, USA & Canada Diaspora
Indian diaspora abroad facing long transplant waitlists in Western healthcare systems. Living donor transplant in India — where a family member can donate — removes the wait entirely. Cases reviewed remotely before travel is planned.
Bangladesh, Nepal & Sri Lanka
South Asian patients who require a liver transplant centre with NABH accreditation, a hepatologist fluent in the clinical patterns seen in the subcontinent — Hepatitis B, alcohol-related liver disease, ACLF — and proximity for follow-up travel.
Myanmar, Singapore & Southeast Asia
Southeast Asian patients benefit from India’s combination of technical expertise and cost efficiency. Dr. Kalal has experience with hepatitis B-related cirrhosis and ACLF patterns common in this region. Post-transplant telemedicine follow-up structured for SEA time zones.
The Transplant Programme at Gleneagles Mumbai
Living Donor (LDLT)
A family member — typically a first-degree relative — donates the right lobe of their liver. No waiting for a deceased donor organ. Suitable for most adult recipients. Donor evaluation is rigorous; only anatomically and medically suitable donors proceed.
Deceased Donor (DDLT)
Organs from brain-dead donors allocated by ZTCC Maharashtra. MELD score determines priority. High-MELD patients with ACLF can be bridged medically while awaiting allocation — a nuanced area where hepatologist expertise matters.
Pre-Transplant Evaluation
Complete hepatology workup: MELD scoring, portal hypertension assessment, nutritional status (sarcopenia evaluation — Dr. Kalal’s research area), cardiac and pulmonary clearance, and HCC staging where applicable. Can be initiated remotely using imaging and labs sent in advance.
Post-Transplant Care
Immunosuppression optimisation, rejection surveillance, infectious complications, and long-term metabolic management. International patients receive a structured telemedicine follow-up protocol so that the first year post-transplant — the most critical — is managed without requiring repeated travel.
Why India for Liver Transplant
Cost Without Compromise
Liver transplantation in India costs a fraction of what the same procedure costs in the UK, USA, or Singapore — without any reduction in surgical quality, ICU standards, or post-operative monitoring. NABH-accredited, with protocols aligned to international standards.
No Organ Waiting List for LDLT
Living donor transplant eliminates the waiting list entirely. A compatible family donor means surgery can be scheduled within weeks of evaluation completion — relevant for patients with progressive disease who cannot afford to wait.
Experienced in Asian Liver Disease
Hepatitis B cirrhosis, alcohol-related ACLF, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in metabolic syndrome — patterns that are common across South and Southeast Asia and well-represented in Mumbai’s transplant programme. Western centres are less experienced with these presentations.
Serving Patients from Across India and Asia
Patients travel to Gleneagles Hospital, Vikhroli, Mumbai for liver transplant evaluation and treatment from every major Indian city — Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Pune, Jaipur, Lucknow, Chandigarh, Kochi, Nagpur, Surat, and Vadodara. Mumbai’s connectivity makes it the natural hub for any Indian city not served by a high-volume transplant programme.
International patients seeking a liver transplant specialist in India consult Dr. Chetan Kalal from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Singapore, Malaysia, and from the Indian diaspora in the UK, USA, Canada, and Australia. Telemedicine consultation is available for initial evaluation before travel is planned.
Appointments: Gleneagles Hospital, Vikhroli West, Mumbai. Mon / Wed / Thu / Fri 12–5 pm, Sat 10 am–1 pm. Video consultation available for international patients.
Start with a Consultation
Send your reports — LFT, CBC, INR/PT, ultrasound or CT scan of the abdomen, and any prior specialist letters — to dr.chetankalal@gmail.com at least 48 hours before your appointment. A preliminary review is completed before the consultation so that your time is used for decisions, not paperwork.