No one likes it when they have to go to doctors on a regular basis, but it is sometimes necessary if we want to survive. Life isn’t easy when you are having to go through this, and it can be scary to know that something is wrong and the doctors can’t easily fix it with a little bit of medicine. Not to worry though, as it is very non-invasive and you won’t have to take much time out of your day to get one done. Once you have an appointment set and your doctor gives you a recommendation on where you to get one, you are already halfway done with the process. Here we will be going over the process of getting a FibroScan and how you can best prepare for it.
Two Weeks Before
Two weeks before you go in for your FibroScan, it is strongly recommended to stop drinking alcohol to make sure that any alcohol that is messing with your liver is gone. The damage that alcohol does to your liver is immense, and drinking with the possibility of a liver disease is not recommended. If you are an alcoholic, this may be challenging as the withdrawal symptoms can be quite severe. Make sure that if you are an alcoholic, you mention this to your doctor before quitting drinking, as there have been cases in the past where people have had seizures and died from withdrawal.
The Day of Your FibroScan
The day that you go into your FibroScan, you should stop eating about three hours before you go into your scan, and avoid drinking any liquids as much as you can. Food being in your system can make it harder for the doctors to pinpoint the problems that you have and will only make your visit longer. If you need to drink water, that is fine, but don’t drink an excessive amount until after you have finished your test.
What is it
Before you go in to your FibroScan, it is important to know what the scan does and what the process is. A FibroScan is an ultrasound machine that will check for any fatty changes or scarring in your liver and will be the determining factor for if you will need to have liver surgery. The most common reason that people will have a FibroScan is if they have liver disease and the reason for it is to help ensure that you can digest food properly.
The scan isn’t too difficult of a process. After you get checked in, you will be brought into a room and the doctor or the assistant will ask for you to place your arm above your head. They will then search around on your stomach to find your liver and then place a probe over it and begin the test. The test isn’t painful at all, and the most that you might feel is a small bump from the machine. The overall process for this takes roughly ten to twenty minutes.
After the test is finished, it will get sent off to the lab and get further inspected by more doctors and you will get a call or set an appointment to go over your results later on. Once this happens, you are free to go. The test is relatively simple, quick and easy and if you are working that day you are free to go back to work. While the idea of a FibroScan can seem scary at first, there is nothing to worry about in the end.