Following My Post on Fatty Liver, More Perplexed

[Hanc]

Hi,

I posted a while back that I was having an Ultrasound done on July 2nd, due to a binge of 10-12 pints for 6months a day after my Mum's passing. The Ultrasound was done by a Hepatologist who talked me through it, but some things have left me perplexed (nothing new for me ). He said my liver was fatty (as I suspected), that my kidneys were fine and that the liver was slightly more echogenic/brighter than the kidneys, suggesting fatty liver. He said the liver was normal size, no course echotecture or nodules, no obvious focal parencymal noted, also my spleen was of normal size and echotecture. Then he said something that scared me, that my gallbladder was well distended. When I voiced my worry he said that this was perfectly normal and is why they make you fast before an abdominal ultrasound, so no bile enters the gallbladder and it distends making it more easy to see gallstones, sludge and the thickness of the gallbladder wall, all of which he said were fine. He then proceeded to tell me again that most of the Western world have fatty liver and with my cholesterol being still high I had more chance of dying of a heart attack. He sent the report to my G.P, who concurred with all of his findings. Then today I get an appointment letter from the Hospital saying I am to attend for a fibroscan on 5th August, when I rang the Hepatologist's Secretary, she said it was my G.P who had referred me for the fibroscan not the Hepatologist and did I want to cancel the appointment. I said no as fibroscan referrals and appointments are like hens' teeth here. But my question is is 5 weeks of abstainence enough to give a reliable liver stiffness reading and why would my G.P send me for one after the Ultrasound was passed by the Hepatologist who gave me a fibroscan reading last october 2017, which was 3.9 Kpa? By the way my bloods are fine. This has left me very perplexed to say the least. Any suggestions, information would be much appreciated.

[jojokarak]

He may of referred you before the original appointment, everything sounds great so no harm in going along just to double check 😉

[Hanc in reply to jojokarak]

Thanks jojokarak, I appreciate the kind reply and good advice.