Liver FibroScan®
How to Prepare | What to Expect On Arrival | What to Expect After | For More Information
FibroScan® is a noninvasive diagnostic ultrasound-based device used to measure liver scarring, or fibrosis, caused by different liver diseases. Similar to a conventional ultrasound exam, outpatient FibroScan® testing is quick, painless and easy, and provides a non-surgical alternative to the traditional liver biopsy to assess liver damage.
The Ambulatory Care Center at NorthShore Skokie Hospital is one of the first centers in the Chicagoland area and the first medical center outside of Chicago to provide this innovative procedure. Since its introduction in 2014, we have performed over 2000 FibroScan® tests.
Your physician may recommend a FibroScan® test if you have one of the following chronic liver conditions:
- hepatitis B
- hepatitis C
- alcoholic liver disease
- non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)
- autoimmune hepatitis
- genetic diseases such as hemochromatosis and Wilson’s disease
- cirrhosis
How to Prepare for the FibroScan® Test
- No food or liquids (including water) for 3 hours prior to the procedure.
What to Expect Once You Arrive for the FibroScan® Test
- Plan to arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled procedure time.
- A pain-free diagnostic test, FibroScan® requires no sedation of any kind.
- The procedure usually takes about 5 minutes. Your entire appointment will last about 30 minutes.
- For the procedure, you will lie on your back with your right arm raised behind your head and your right abdominal area exposed.
- A nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant will apply a water-based gel to your skin and then place a non-invasive probe over your liver.
- During the exam, you may feel a slight vibration on the skin at the tip of the probe as it delivers ultrasound waves to the area for measuring purposes.
What to Expect After the FibroScan® Test
- FibroScan® results are provided instantly after the test. The healthcare professional performing your exam will provide you with a copy of your results at the end of your visit.
FIBROSCAN® 502 TOUCH
Innovation in Liver Disease Management
FIBROSCAN® 502 TOUCH with its dedicated probes is a diagnostic aid measuring liver stiffness and Controlled Attenuation Parameter. An intelligent solution to aid clinical diagnosis, FIBROSCAN® 502 TOUCH uses state of the art fibrosis and steatosis quantification with the most advanced non-invasive technology.
Based on patented Vibration-Controlled Transient Elastography (VCTE™), FIBROSCAN® 502 TOUCH provides multiple controls for reliable, accurate and reproducible assessment of liver tissue stiffness: controlled vibration, controlled energy, controlled algorithm.
Liver scan procedures are easy to put into routine practice for all chronic liver diseases.
To date, more than 369 peer-reviewed original articles have demonstrated the usefulness of liver stiffness measurement with the FIBROSCAN® 502 TOUCH.
As a stand-alone tool or as an adjunct to liver biopsy, FIBROSCAN® 502 TOUCH allows accurate decisions as part of your patient management strategy. From mass screening to follow-up of post transplanted patients and prognostic value, liver stiffness measured by FIBROSCAN® 502 TOUCH has a wide range of use.
How FIBROSCAN® 502 TOUCH Works
FIBROSCAN® 502 TOUCH uses “shear waves” to measure the elasticity of the liver using an improved technique called Vibration-Controlled Transient Elastography (VCTE™).
As the shear wave passes through the liver, it is affected by the amount of scarring (fibrosis), and this is interpreted to give an accurate global assessment of the stage of fibrosis (fibrosis staging).
A liver scan test generally takes between five and 30 minutes and involves the Registered Nurse applying a small amount of water based gel and placing a probe at a precise point on the patient’s right hand side.
The patient may feel a gentle vibration at the site of the probe, which generates a vibration wave.
Ten consecutive measurements will be made at the same location. The device will measure the state of the liver globally, as opposed to a biopsy where only a very small sample is measured.
The faster the wave travels through the liver, the more serious the scarring. The test takes about 10 minutes, and the result is delivered immediately at the end. It will be a number between 1.5 and 75 kPa.
The results are immediate and can help doctors decide what to do next – whether treatment is required and what treatment is best for the patient. The stiffer the liver the more severe fibrosis.
Understanding your Liver Scan Score
A liver scan score is a number that is determined from multiple readings of the FIBROSCAN® 502 TOUCH test. It tells our specialist what your level of risk is and then plans can be made to improve your health. It might be as simple as a few lifestyle changes. Undetected, liver disease can kill you.
If the LiverScan score shows that your liver is becoming scarred – for example, that you have severe fibrosis (F3) or cirrhosis (F4) – your doctor has a better chance of persuading your insurance company to cover the new drugs now for your treatment without having to get a biopsy.
On the other hand, a very low LiverScan score can provide you and your loved ones reassurance that your liver can afford to wait for better/less expensive treatment options in the future.