What To Expect During A FibroScan

When your doctor recommends a medical test, it’s natural to have questions — and maybe even some worries. At Franciscan Health, we want you to feel comfortable and confident before, during and after your care. That’s why we sat down with Julie Pickett, RN, who regularly administers FibroScan tests, to walk us through the process and answer patients’ most common questions.

Key Takeaways: FibroScans

• FibroScan is a quick, painless test that measures liver stiffness and fat content.
• It helps detect liver conditions like fibrosis, cirrhosis and fatty liver disease without the need for a biopsy.
• Results are available immediately, allowing for faster diagnosis and treatment planning.
• It’s especially useful for people living with hepatitis, obesity or diabetes, who are at higher risk for liver disease.

Why Would I Need A FibroScan?

A FibroScan is a safe, quick and noninvasive way to check your liver’s health. It helps detect these conditions:

• Fatty liver disease (extra fat in the liver)
• Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), a serious form of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
• Hepatitis
• Scarring or stiffness, signs of possible fibrosis or cirrhosis

FibroScan is especially helpful for people at higher risk of liver disease, such as those with diabetes, high cholesterol or excess body weight.

“Most people think that cirrhosis is an alcoholic disease, and it absolutely is not. Only 12% of the population that has cirrhosis are drinkers,” said Pickett. “About 75% of cirrhosis is caused by fatty liver disease.”

Because liver problems don’t always cause symptoms early on, FibroScan can detect fat or stiffness before serious damage develops. Unlike a traditional liver biopsy, which involves using a needle and possibly sedation to put you to sleep, FibroScan uses advanced ultrasound technology, known as transient elastography, to evaluate your liver. It’s fast, painless and reliable.

Common Questions Patients Ask About FibroScan

1. Is FibroScan like a biopsy? No. Unlike a liver biopsy, there are no needles, no sedation and no recovery time. FibroScan uses sound waves to gather information.
2. Will a FibroScan hurt? Not at all. Patients describe the sensation as a light tap or thump on the skin. “You’ll lie comfortably on your back with your right arm raised above your head. A small probe, similar to an ultrasound, is placed on your side. You may feel a light tap or thump on your skin. This is the sound wave moving through your liver,” Pickett said.
3. What if my results aren’t good? Think of FibroScan as a roadmap. If your results show fat or scarring, your doctor can help you make changes — through diet, exercise, medication or referrals to specialists. “People come in with some frightening numbers, but when they make big changes, like diet and exercise, their scans look much better,” Pickett said. “It makes them realize, ‘oh yeah, what I’m doing actually works’.”
4. Why would my doctor recommend FibroScan instead of a biopsy? Doctors often prefer FibroScan because it’ssafe and gentle, takes less than 15 minutes, and can be repeated over time to track your liver health. It’s also very accurate at measuring stiffness and fat.

What Happens During The FibroScan Procedure?

Here’s what you can expect from start to finish:

1. Check-in:You’ll confirm your name and date of birth. We’ll confirm that you’ve fasted (nothing to eat or drink for 3–4 hours before the scan).
2. Positioning:You’ll lie on a cart with your right leg crossed over your left and your right arm stretched above your head.
3. Probe placement:A small amount of ultrasound gel is applied between your ribs.
4. The scan:The probe delivers about 10 pulses. Each pulse feels like a quick tap on your skin. The machine measures how fast sound waves move through your liver — information that shows whether fat or scarring is present.
5. Duration:The whole scan takes only about 10 minutes.

Pickett said many patients are surprised at how quick and simple it is.

Why Catching Fatty Liver Disease Early Matters

Fatty liver disease is sometimes called a silent condition because it often causes no symptoms until the liver is already damaged.

FibroScan isn’t just about your liver, it’s also about your heart health. Research shows that people with fatty liver disease are more likely to develop heart problems, including heart disease, which remains the leading cause of death in the U.S.

“Unfortunately, with fatty liver disease, a liver can get pretty sick and not even let you know,” Pickett said. “That’s why proactive screening is so important.”

A FibroScan offers peace of mind and a chance to make changes before problems get worse. Many patients return every year, or every couple of years, to monitor improvements after adopting healthier habits.

If your doctor has suggested a FibroScan, you’re taking an important step toward protecting your liver health. The test is safe, quick and covered by most insurance, including Medicare and Medicaid.