Liver Clinic

The Stanford Liver Clinic (Hepatology) is a regional referral center with internationally renowned liver disease experts. People from all over the San Francisco Bay Area and surrounding communities put their trust in the liver disease expertise at Stanford.

Our team specializes in detecting liver disease and complications in their earliest stages, and delivering compassionate care and innovative treatments, even for conditions once thought to be untreatable.

 

Liver Fibroscan

A FibroScan is a test that can reveal any fibrosis or fatty deposits within the liver. It is a non-invasive, quick and simple test that works using ultrasound and gives an immediate result.

What is Fibroscan?

It is a device used to assess degree of scarring or damage to liver.

For which liver conditions can Fibroscan be used?

  • Hepatitis C
  • Hepatitis B
  • HCV-HIV co-infection
  • Hepatitis C recurrence after liver transplantation
  • Non Alcohol Fatty Liver Disease
  • Alcohol
  • Chronic cholestatic diseases

What does the Fibroscan examination consist of?

  • You lie on your back, with your right arm raised behind your head. Physician applies a water-based gel to the skin and places the probe with a slight pressure.
  • The examination includes 10 consecutive measurements made at the same location.
  • During measurement, you feel a slight vibration on the skin at the tip of the probe.
  • The result is delivered at the end of the examination, it’s a number which can vary from 1.5 to 75 kPa. Your doctor will interpret the result.

What are the benefits?

  • The result is immediate,
  • It is non –invasive, therefore painless.
  • It shows the evolution of the liver health and allows physicians to diagnose and monitor disease evolution regardless of treatment or collateral factors.
  • Exam result helps to anticipate various complications, as well as to monitor and assess the damages caused by diseases such as cirrhosis.
  • Examination can be repeated as necessary to monitor liver condition.

When is Fibroscan examination not possible?

  • On any other organ than the liver
  • On patient with active implantable devices such as pacemakers, defibrillators, pumps…
  • On wounds
  • On pregnant women
  • On patients with ascites

WHAT IS FIBROSIS?

 

Fibrosis is stiffening and scarring of the liver caused by different liver diseases and conditions such as:

  • Fatty liver disease
  • Liver damage due to alcohol abuse such as cirrhosis
  • Chronic viral hepatitis

GETTING THE RESULTS OF YOUR FIBROSCAN

 

All patients should get their FibroScan results immediately. These results, displayed as readings rather than an image, will show whether there are any regions of scarring and also how stiff your liver is.  One of our specialist consultants will help you to understand your individual results.

 

HOW DO I GET A FIBROSCAN?

 

You can be referred by your GP, or can you can contact us directly for an appointment.

To make a confidential enquiry or appointment:

Your liver carries out several essential functions in your body including detoxifying harmful substances, cleaning your blood and producing vital nutrients.

Detecting fibrosis early provides an opportunity to change your lifestyle to prevent the fibrosis becoming more widespread and leading to an even more severe chronic liver disease.

 

deally a FibroScan is carried out in combination with a panel of liver blood tests. We also offer a FibroScan package with consultation and no blood tests. You can discuss your requirements when booking your appointment.

When all the results are available we can arrange a consultation with a hepatologist to discuss your results and any changes in lifestyle that may be necessary.