About Liver Health Scan

Liver health and FibroScan®

The liver is the largest organ inside the body. It is located beneath the diaphragm in the upper right side of the abdomen.

The liver has many jobs, including making bile for digestion, detoxification, formation of essential proteins and immunity.

Liver issues can be caused by a number of factors such as obesity, alcohol use, cancers or viruses. Liver fibrosis (scarring) occurs over time and can lead to cirrhosis and life threatening liver failure.

Early detection of liver damage can lead to treatment which can slow the progression of liver disease, or allow it to heal. Liver fibrosis typically does not cause any symptoms at early stages, and without screening with investigations such as FibroScan®, patients may not be aware they have liver disease until it reaches more advanced stages.

The FibroScan® uses a series of pulsed low-frequency vibrations to measure liver stiffness and fatty changes. This gives a score of median stiffness that correlates with the amount of scarring in the liver. The higher the score, the greater the extent of liver damage.

If your doctor recommends a FibroScan® with Liver Health Scan you will be booked for an appointment for the scan, which is carried out by one of our practitioners. The scan takes around 15 minutes and is non-invasive and not painful. You will need to fast for 2 hours before your scan.

If liver disease has been diagnosed you may undergo further FibroScans® in the future to monitor the progression of damage over time, or healing following treatment.