Dr. Aniruddha Y. Phadke

I'd been to a couple of doctors about this nagging pain and fatigue, and everyone had a different theory. Honestly, I was starting to think it was all in my head. Dr. Phadke was different. He spent nearly an hour with me in that first visit, just listening and asking questions I hadn't been asked before. He ordered a specific set of tests the others hadn't, and it turned out to be a thyroid issue that was mimicking other problems. He didn't just throw pills at me; he drew a diagram on his notepad to explain exactly what was happening. For the first time in months, I felt like someone had actually found the map.

Had to get a colonoscopy, which, let's be real, nobody looks forward to. The prep was the worst part, obviously. But the day of, the whole team at Lilavati made it as easy as it could be. Dr. Phadke popped his head in before I went under, cracked a dry joke about the hospital cafeteria food, and it actually calmed me down. Woke up feeling groggy, but he was there with the clear resultsall clear, thankfullyand simple instructions. It was just a routine check, but he treated it with a seriousness that made me feel secure, not like I was wasting his time.

Look, the parking at Lilavati is always a bit of a hunt, I won't lie. But once you're inside, it's a different world. My wife was admitted for observation, and the nurses on Dr. Phadke's floor were genuinely kind. One even helped her order a decent cup of tea when the room service menu confused her. Dr. Phadke's rounds were the highlight; he never seemed rushed. He'd sit on the edge of the bed, ask how she was sleeping, and actually wait for the answer. The place runs smoothly, but it's the human touches from him and his team that you remember.

I'm a pretty anxious person, especially around doctors. My first appointment with Dr. Phadke, my hands were practically sweating. He noticed right away and just started talking about normal stuffthe weather, the traffic in Bandrabefore even touching on my file. He has this calm, quiet way of explaining things that doesn't talk down to you. When he did my physical, he told me exactly what he was going to do before he did it. It sounds small, but for someone who gets nervous, it made all the difference. He feels less like a medical authority figure and more like a really smart, trusted uncle who happens to know a lot about medicine.