Faculty Profile: Nayan Patel, DO

As a transplant hepatologist, Nayan Patel, DO, MPH, cares for patients during their most vulnerable times.

“In transplant hepatology, you have the possibility to truly change lives,” Dr. Patel said. “You see patients at their sickest times before a transplant and afterwards, if they are doing great, it’s like night and day. The work can be extremely gratifying.”

Dr. Patel is a clinical assistant professor in Internal Medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix and a transplant hepatologist at Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix.

It wasn’t until his final year of medical school that Dr. Patel discovered his passion for gastroenterology and transplant hepatology. He saw the specialty as a way to combine his interest in internal medicine and surgery.

Dr. Patel specializes in the management of advanced liver disease and liver transplants. During a typical week, he sees about 60 patients with gastrointestinal issues or liver disease. The liver transplant program at Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix has grown dramatically with 120 transplants performed in 2018, ranking it 15th in the nation in volume.

“As a transplant hepatologist, I help patients manage their advanced liver disease and determine if they are a candidate through an evaluation process,” Dr. Patel said. “My goal is to keep them as healthy as possible, whether it’s in the office or at the hospital. I perform follow-up care and keep watching their new liver, so we can avoid immunosuppression complications and allow them to have productive lives.”

In Arizona, Dr. Patel said alcohol, Hepatitis C and Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis are major concerns. He advises his patients — and the community — to drink in moderation, eat a healthy diet, not smoke and live a healthy lifestyle. Those with liver disease should get regular screening for liver cancer.

Prior to working at the academic center, Dr. Patel said he never saw himself as a teacher, but he now sees it as a chance to give back. He trains gastroenterology fellows and residents, volunteers for the college’s capstone course and mentors students who rotate in gastroenterology and hepatology during their fourth-year elective.

“It feels like I’ve gone full circle,” he said. “I did my gastroenterology and hepatology training here, and now I’m able to still be involved in the program and teach the next generation of fellows. It’s amazing to see how the program has evolved and to help collaborate on the great work these fellows are doing.”

Dr. Patel received his medical degree and a masters of public health from University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, now known as Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine. He completed a residency in internal medicine at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and a fellowship in gastroenterology and hepatology at the U of A College of Medicine – Phoenix.