Patient will lie flat on the bed, and will place the detector on the skin between the ribs. The detector will release a shock wave to the liver and will measure the speed of the shock wave with ultrasound. The examinee will feel a slight vibration from the end of the detector, and will not feel any pain at all.

Importance of Liver Fibrosis Check Up

If the liver is inflamed for a long time, it will increase fibrous tissue. This disease is called liver fibrosis. If the situation continues to worsen, it will develop into liver cirrhosis, which increases the risk of liver cancer. Liver cancer is one of the most common fatal cancers in Hong Kong. Hepatitis B, hepatitis C, fatty liver, diabetes and excessive alcohol consumption are all high-risk factors that cause liver cirrhosis.

Liver examination

To check liver health, liver enzymes must be checked. But it can only reflect the inflammation of the liver, not the condition of liver fibrosis. Liver biopsy is the traditional standard for liver fibrosis. However, this examination is traumatic and requires hospitalization. Therefore, non-invasive liver diagnosis is an indispensable examination to assess the degree of liver fibrosis.

The following people have a higher chance of developing liver disease, liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, or liver cancer:

• Carriers of chronic hepatitis B
• Carriers of hepatitis C
• HIV carriers
• Fatty liver patients
• Diabetic
• People who consume a lot of alcohol
• Patients with alcoholic liver disease
• Patients taking certain medications

A Hong Kong study pointed out that 18% of patients with normal blood tests (liver function and liver enzymes) have actually developed severe liver fibrosis. In addition, 34% of patients over 45 years of age with normal liver function were found to have severe liver fibrosis.

Therefore, any person regardless of whether they have underlying liver disease or other signs of liver cirrhosis, can receive a non-invasive liver diagnostic test, so that your liver disease management can get a more comprehensive grasp.

For Fibrotouch test, you need to fast for four hours and only drink a small amount of water.

The examination process only takes a few minutes, and the whole process only needs to be lying on the bed. The probe will be placed on your right abdomen and measure several positions. According to strict guidelines, the scanner will only request readings at the appropriate liver site.

The results of liver fibrosis will be displayed in kilopascals (kPa), which is convenient for you to compare later.