HealthInfo Waitaha Canterbury
FibroScan
FibroScan is an examination to check the stiffness of your liver. It is also called transient elastography.
It is a non-invasive (no needles) procedure. It is quick, painless and gives an immediate result.
This procedure allows your doctor to check the amount of scarring (fibrosis) in your liver. It Is often used instead of a liver biopsy.
During a FibroScan examination
You should not eat or drink for 2 hours before the examination as this may affect the result.
- During the examination, you will lie on your back with your right arm raised behind your head.
- The person performing the procedure will apply a water-based gel to your skin. They will place the FibroScan probe on your skin with a slight pressure.
- The FibroScan probe takes a measurement of your liver stiffness. You will feel a slight vibration on your skin as the measurement is taken.
- Approximately 10 measurements will be made at the same place on your body.
- At the end of the examination, your doctor will be given your result. This result is a number, which can vary from 1.5 to 75 kPa.
After the procedure
Your doctor will interpret the results according to your medical record and your disease.
The results help assess how likely it is that you will have liver complications. It also often helps with decisions about the timing of any hepatitis treatments.
In some cases, for example, if you have severe fibrosis (cirrhosis), your doctor may recommend you have regular ultrasound scans.
Written by the Gastroenterology Department, Christchurch Hospital. Adapted by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed August 2024.
Review key: HILIV-52878
