FibroScan in Okeechobee, FL

FibroScan is a quick, painless, noninvasive test that measures the health of your liver. Using a technology called transient elastography, it sends a gentle vibration through the skin over your liver and measures how fast it travels. That measurement tells your doctor how stiff your liver is, which reflects the amount of scarring, or fibrosis, present. A second measurement, called the controlled attenuation parameter (CAP), estimates how much fat has built up in the liver. There are no needles, no sedation, and no recovery time, and the whole scan takes about 10 minutes.

Dr. Vikram Tarugu uses FibroScan at Gastro in Florida to evaluate and monitor many liver conditions. It is especially useful if you have fatty liver disease, now often called MASLD (metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease), in which fat builds up in the liver even without heavy alcohol use. It also helps track chronic hepatitis B and hepatitis C, monitor cirrhosis and its progression, and follow up on abnormal liver enzymes found on routine blood work. Finding liver scarring early matters, because fibrosis can often be slowed or reversed when its cause is treated, while advanced scarring is much harder to undo. Because the test is painless and easy to repeat, it can be done over time to see whether liver stiffness or fat is improving with treatment or lifestyle changes, often without the need for a liver biopsy.

During the scan, you lie back on an examination table and the right side of your abdomen is exposed so the probe can rest on the skin over your liver. A small amount of gel may be applied, and the probe sends a series of gentle pulses. Most patients feel only a slight tapping sensation, and the scan itself takes about 10 minutes. You can return to your normal activities right away, with no restrictions. Dr. Tarugu reviews your results with you the same day, explaining what your stiffness and CAP scores mean and what the next steps should be, whether that is continued monitoring, further testing, or treatment.

Preparation is simple. You may be asked not to eat for a few hours before your appointment so the measurements are as accurate as possible. Our office will confirm your instructions when you schedule. The test is also useful when blood tests alone do not tell the whole story, since liver stiffness can be present even when routine labs look nearly normal. FibroScan is one part of complete liver care at Gastro in Florida. If your scan shows fatty liver, hepatitis, or cirrhosis, Dr. Tarugu can follow your condition over time and adjust your care as needed. Learn more about fatty liver disease, hepatitis, and cirrhosis, or call us to discuss whether FibroScan is right for you.

To schedule a FibroScan at our Okeechobee office, call Gastro in Florida at (863) 824-3447.