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Specialist in Hepatology
Chirag Patel, MD was inspired at a young age by family and friends with backgrounds in medicine. He was always driven to be successful attending Management Medical School in India before coming to the U.S. in 1996. He then completed his residency in internal medicine in Detroit, and his hepatology fellowship at UT Southwestern in Dallas, TX. After his fellowship was complete, he joined Galen and serves as the area’s only board-certified Hepatologist.
During residency, Dr. Patel participated in Hepatitis C research and continued to develop more of a passion for the field of hepatology. He is passionate about treating cirrhotic and liver failure patients especially helping them to better understand liver disease and the importance of the complex organ for overall health.
“It takes a lot of time to get a successful liver transplant,” he said. “It feels great to be able to help treat my patients as they reach this amazing milestone.”
Dr. Patel treats a variety of liver conditions including Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B, Hemochromatosis, Cirrhosis, Autoimmune Hepatitis, NASH, PBC, and Liver cancer. He is the number one treating physician of Hepatitis C in the region and has a very successful cure rate due to his caliber of care and custom treatment path chosen specifically for each patient.
Dr. Patel has a wife of 25 years and two children– a son at McCallie, and a daughter at Vanderbilt aspiring to be a physician. He enjoys traveling, politics, reading historical books, all things tech, and watching cricket.
Galen Hepatology is led by Hepatologists Dr. Chirag Patel who has been in practice for over 14 years in the Chattanooga area. Dr. Patel and his staff are dedicated to providing the best quality care as well as education to all patients.
Dr. Patel offers primary care and treats variety of liver conditions some of which include: Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B, Hemochromatosis, Cirrhosis, Auto Immune Hepatitis, NASH, PBC and Liver cancer, just to name a few. He is the number one treating physician of Hepatitis C in the region and has a very successful cure rate with his quality of care and treatment path chosen specifically for each patient.
Dr. Patel also works closely with surrounding transplant centers and Physicians and is involved in pre and post transplant patient care.
7425 Ziegler Rd., Ste. 143
Chattanooga, TN 37421
M.D. | Baroda Medical College, Baroda, India
Fellowship | Hepatology, University of Texas, Southwestern Med. Ctr., Dallas, TX
Certification | Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Board Eligible in Hepatology
Erlanger Hospital
Memorial Hospital
ABIM — American Board of Internal Medicine
Board Advisory member with Salix/Roche
Associate physician with UAB Transplant
A hepatologist is a specialist in the branch of medicine called Hepatology, which includes the study of body parts such as the liver, the biliary tree, the gallbladder and the pancreas. A hepatologist manages disorders in these areas. Hepatology was traditionally a subspecialty of gastroenterology, but recent advances in the understanding of this subspecialty have made it a field of its own.
Hepatologists deal most frequently with viral hepatitis and diseases related to alcohol. Hepatitis impacts millions of people worldwide and has been associated with a number of poor outcomes such as liver cancer and liver transplantation. Particularly, hepatitis B and hepatitis C frequently cause liver cancers. Alcohol consumption has been associated with cirrhosis and other complications.
A general practitioner may refer a patient to a hepatologist for a variety of reasons including drug overdose, gastrointestinal bleeding from portal hypertension, jaundice, ascites, enzyme defects or blood tests that indicate liver disease. Evidence of diseases in the biliary tree, fever indicating tropical diseases such as hydatid cyst, kala-azar or schistosomiasis may also cause a general practitioner to refer a patient to a hepatologist. These specialists also may treat hemochromatosis or pancreatitis or conduct follow-up among patients who have received a liver transplantation.
Some of the procedures performed by hepatologists include endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), transhepatic pancreato-cholangiography (TPC) or transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPSS).
Hepatologists can treat adult or pediatric patients.
To become a hepatologist, an individual must complete undergraduate study, receive a Doctor of Medicine (MD) or a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree, and then complete a 3-year residency in gastroenterology followed by a fellowship of 2 or 3 years in that field. These candidates then should receive certification in gastroenterology by the American Board of Internal Medicine.
Once these gastroenterologists are certified, they should devote the majority of their time to the liver and its associated complications.
References:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/departments-centers/gastroenterology-hepatology
http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=19427
http://www.hepato-site.net/hepatologists.html
Liver disorder is defined as any condition that damages the liver and prevents it from functioning well.
Most common types of liver disorders
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: the accumulation of liver fat in people who drink little or no alcohol.
Hepatitis C: an infection caused by a virus that attacks the liver and leads to inflammation.
Hepatitis B: a serious liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus that’s easily preventable by a vaccine.
Cirrhosis of the liver: chronic liver damage from a variety of causes leading to scarring and liver failure.
Alcoholic hepatitis: liver inflammation caused by drinking too much alcohol.
Hepatitis A: a highly contagious liver infection caused by the hepatitis A virus.
Hemochromatosis: an inherited condition that causes excessive absorption of iron leading to high blood iron levels and iron deposits in multiple joints.
There are a variety of disorders of the pancreas including acute pancreatitis, chronic pancreatitis, hereditary pancreatitis, and pancreatic cancer.
The evaluation of pancreatic diseases can be difficult due to the inaccessibility of the pancreas. There are multiple methods to evaluate the pancreas. Initial tests of the pancreas include a physical examination, which is difficult since the pancreas is deep in the abdomen near the spine. Blood tests are often helpful in determining whether the pancreas is involved in a specific symptom but may be misleading. The best radiographic tests to evaluate the structure of the pancreas include CAT (computed tomography) scan, endoscopic ultrasound, and MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). Tests to evaluate the pancreatic ducts include ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography) and MRCP(magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography). There are also instances in which surgical exploration is the only way to confirm the diagnosis of pancreatic disease.
Acute Pancreatitis: Acute pancreatitis is a sudden attack causing inflammation of the pancreas and is usually associated with severe upper abdominal pain. The pain may be severe and last several days. Other symptoms of acute pancreatitis include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, bloating, and fever. In the United States, the most common cause of acute pancreatitis is gallstones. Other causes include chronic alcohol consumption, hereditary conditions, trauma, medications, infections, electrolyte abnormalities, high lipid levels, hormonal abnormalities, or other unknown causes. The treatment is usually supportive with medications showing no benefit. Most patients with acute pancreatitis recover completely.
Chronic Pancreatitis: Chronic pancreatitis is the progressive disorder associated with the destruction of the pancreas. The disease is more common in men and usually develops in persons between 30 and 40 years of age. Initially, chronic pancreatitis may be confused with acute pancreatitis because the symptoms are similar. The most common symptoms are upper abdominal pain and diarrhea. As the disease becomes more chronic, patients can develop malnutrition and weight loss. If the pancreas becomes destroyed in the latter stages of the disease, patients may develop diabetes mellitus.
The most common cause of chronic pancreatitis in the United States is chronic alcohol consumption. Additional causes include cystic fibrosis and other hereditary disorders ofthe pancreas. For a significant percentage of patients there is no known cause. More research is needed to determine other causes of the disease.
The treatment for chronic pancreatitis depends on the symptoms. Most therapies center on pain management and nutritional support. Oral pancreatic enzyme supplements are used to aid in the digestion of food. Patients who develop diabetes require insulin to control blood sugar. The avoidance of alcohol is central to therapy.
Hereditary Pancreatitis: In some cases, pancreatitis is related to inherited abnormalities of the pancreas or intestine. Acute recurrent attacks of pancreatitis early in life (under age 30) can often progress to chronic pancreatitis. The most common inherited disorder that leads to chronic pancreatitis is cystic fibrosis. Recent research demonstrates genetic testing can be a valuable tool in identifying patients predisposed to hereditary pancreatitis.
As in chronic pancreatitis, hereditary pancreatitis is a progressive disease with a high risk of permanent problems. Patients with these disorders may have chronic pain, diarrhea, malnutrition, or diabetes. Treatment focuses on pain control and pancreatic enzyme replacement.
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