“Stable Cirrhosis” Is a Myth
A Comfortable Lie That Costs Lives
If you’ve been told:
“Your cirrhosis is stable”
“Nothing has changed”
“Let’s continue the same medicines”
“Come back after 6 months”
You deserve to hear the truth.
The Truth No One Explains Clearly
Cirrhosis is never stable.
It is either:
Compensating
Decompensating
Or silently progressing toward failure
Calling it “stable” does not make it harmless.
It only makes it ignored.
Why Doctors Use the Word “Stable”
Because it sounds reassuring.
Because it avoids difficult conversations.
Because it delays responsibility.
But in hepatology, reassurance without strategy is negligence.
What “Stable Cirrhosis” Really Means (Clinically)
When doctors say “stable,” they usually mean:
No bleeding yet
No ascites yet
No encephalopathy yet
No jaundice yet
That “yet” is doing all the damage.
Cirrhosis Progresses — Even When You Feel Fine
Behind the scenes:
Portal pressure keeps rising
Muscle mass keeps falling
Immune dysfunction worsens
Nutritional reserves disappear
Infections become more likely
Liver reserve shrinks silently
By the time symptoms appear, you are already late.
The Most Dangerous Phase of Cirrhosis
It’s not ICU cirrhosis.
It’s “doing okay” cirrhosis.
Why?
Because:
No urgency is created
No transplant discussion happens
No nutrition aggression is done
No sarcopenia monitoring occurs
No contingency planning exists
Patients lose time they never get back.
“Stable” Cirrhosis Is Where Transplant Windows Are Missed
This is the single biggest failure in liver care.
Transplant should be:
Planned, not panicked
Evaluated early, not during sepsis
Discussed before kidney failure
Considered while outcomes are optimal
Most patients are referred too late — not because transplant failed, but because timing failed.
What Proper Cirrhosis Management Looks Like
There is no such thing as passive cirrhosis care.
Real management includes:
Dynamic risk stratification (not once-a-year scores)
Nutrition as aggressively as medication
Sarcopenia tracking
Portal hypertension surveillance
Infection prevention planning
Early transplant roadmap — even if transplant is not imminent
Anything less is complacency.
Why Patients Reaching Dr Chetan Kalal Were Told They Were “Stable”
Most arrive after:
Repeated admissions
Sudden deterioration
Infections that “came out of nowhere”
A crisis that no one predicted — but should have
Dr Chetan Kalal is a DM-trained Hepatologist and Liver Transplant Physician, known for managing high-risk cirrhosis and correcting delayed decision-making.
Clinical Authority
First DM Hepatologist of Maharashtra
Special focus on cirrhosis trajectory, transplant timing, and failed conservative care
Known for calling deterioration early — not politely late
Patients come here not for comfort — but for truth.
If You Have Cirrhosis, Ask One Question
“What is my plan if I worsen in the next 6–12 months?”
If there is no clear answer, your cirrhosis is not “stable.”
It is unmanaged.
Get a Decisive Hepatology Review
This is for patients who:
Were told they are “stable”
Feel reassured but uncertain
Have cirrhosis without a future plan
Want clarity before crisis
Cirrhosis does not warn before it worsens.
Medicine must think ahead — or it fails.
