Dr. Vinod Hegade
Gastroenterologist

That's genuinely difficult to answer objectively, but patients tend to look for a few things: the right training, real experience with complex cases, and a doctor who explains things clearly. On training, completing the CCT in Gastroenterology through the UK system and earning a research PhD in liver disease represents a full specialist pathway — not just postgraduate exams. Seventeen years of practice across the UK and UAE, including consultant roles at specialist centres, means difficult cases aren't unfamiliar territory. The rest, honestly, is for patients to judge for themselves.

The practice covers digestive and liver conditions across a broad spectrum — from common presentations like reflux, IBS, and changes in bowel habit, to more complex ones such as autoimmune liver disease, hepatitis B and C, primary biliary cholangitis, and ERCP procedures for bile duct and pancreatic problems. Colonoscopy and gastroscopy are also performed here. If you're unsure whether a particular concern falls within scope, the best thing is simply to get in touch.

ERCP — Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography — sounds more complicated than it needs to. In practice, it's a procedure done under sedation that allows us to look inside the bile ducts and pancreatic duct using a camera and X-ray guidance. It's used to remove bile duct stones, open up blockages, place stents, and investigate jaundice or recurrent pancreatitis. Yes, this is performed at HealthBay Gastroenterology & Digestive Health Clinic, Al Wasl Road, Dubai. Dr. Vinod is also available at Medcare Hospital, Sharjah (Tue & Thu) and HealthBay Community Care, Motorcity, Dubai (Saturdays).

A gastroenterologist looks after problems with the digestive system as a whole — the stomach, intestines, colon, and oesophagus. A hepatologist focuses specifically on the liver, gallbladder, and bile ducts. In practice the two specialties overlap considerably, which is why dual training in both is genuinely useful. Most patients who come in with liver concerns won't need to see two separate doctors.

Any persistent change in how your digestive system is functioning is worth taking seriously — particularly rectal bleeding, unexplained weight loss, difficulty swallowing, or a bowel habit that has changed noticeably over several weeks. Jaundice, persistent upper abdominal pain, and abnormal liver tests on a routine blood check are also clear reasons to seek a specialist opinion. The threshold for coming in should be low. These things are usually straightforward to investigate, and early assessment avoids things becoming more complicated.

Yes. Fatty liver disease — now more commonly referred to as MASLD or MASH in updated guidelines — is one of the most frequently seen conditions in this practice, particularly given how common its metabolic risk factors are in the UAE. Assessment typically involves blood tests, an ultrasound, and often a FibroScan to stage any fibrosis. From there the approach is practical: understand what's driving it, address those factors, and monitor appropriately. Research on this condition formed a significant part of the doctoral work.

Call +971 800 4272, send a WhatsApp message, or use the appointment form on this page. Dr. Vinod consults at HealthBay Gastroenterology & Digestive Health, Al Wasl Road, Dubai (Sun, Mon, Wed, Fri: 8 AM – 5 PM), Medcare Hospital Sharjah (Tue & Thu: 8 AM – 4 PM), and HealthBay Community Care Clinic, Motorcity, Dubai (Saturdays: 9 AM – 3 PM, WhatsApp +971 56 526 9760).

Yes — the full specialist training pathway was completed in the United Kingdom: MBBS, MRCP (UK), MRCP in Gastroenterology, CCT in Gastroenterology from the General Medical Council, and a PhD from the University of Leeds. A dedicated advanced ERCP fellowship in Leeds followed before relocating to Dubai. The UK pathway is considered rigorous precisely because it combines years of supervised clinical training with structured examinations — it doesn't fast-track.