Letter from Heptologist

[Dontworrydarling]

HelloI had a letter from the consultant to say my recent fibroscan results indicates no evidence of liver disease and they would be discharging me. I had had a BLT fibroscan back in spring which was almost 12 and my GP referred me to heptology. Sadly during this appointment last month I never actually got to see the consultant, and although the nurse was lovely and reassured me the fibroscan was normal (3 7!) I never got to discuss my worries at all.

While I was waiting for this appointment to come through, my go sent me for a shearwave scan at the local hospital which said I had F2 fibrosis. This was literally only 6 months ago. I don't understand how this Heptologist has discounted this information or why they didn't see me. I thought fibroscan was only one part of the picture? This letter now says im being discharged and I don't know what to do next. I've lost 2 stone since the original scam which the nurse said has brought about the changes , and the discharge letter said the original high reading will be because I didn't fast before the test, but doesn't mention the shearwave scan I had which confirmed the the original score was correct.

I'm really worried.

[Iro1]

Brilliant Brilliant I have lost 13kg in the last 6 weeks and I am hoping my 10.8, 9.8, 8.8 scores will now be 6 or lower

[Onesmallstep1969]

Your liver is lucky that you continue to worry/care about it more than anyone else. You are doing the wright thing, questioning the advice. Since one fibrosis test indicated F2, only a biopsy or Magnetic Resonance Elastography (MRE) can accurately tell you how fibrotic your liver is or whether there is no fibrosis at all. You should really try to obtain an MRE so you will know the accurate state of your liver.

[Yorkigirl]

Hi, I would question this too. Can you phone the Consultants secretary and arrange for a chat with them. Also I would contact your GP and let them know of your concerns. Personally I would carry on with the healthier living as it certainly helps which is what I'm also doing. Good Luck

[Dontworrydarling]

Thank you all so much for the replies. If the consultant tells me the fibroscan and clear blood are all I need to concern myself with , I'll be happy. But the shearwave scan I had in between is what I am unable to let go. It definitely said my liver surface was mildy coarse, indicative of underlying fibrotic change and a score of 1.25m/s correlating to F2. ( My research since then tells me it's the lower end of F2 , I think ( It was done two weeks after the original fibroscan , and my understanding is that the technology is similar to a fibroscan in that it measures stiffness/inflammation, so the results support each other.

[ceward204 in reply to Dontworrydarling]

I find the British doctors seam to be so much better than the Canadian doctors. When it comes to this. Makes me cringe inside, on how the Canadian Doctors so screwed up my wifes diagnosis. Her US showed a smooth echogenic texture with 24m/s portal flow with normal portal size, normal gallbladder with no signs of wall thickening. Normal size spleen. LFT's normal, but had high total billi, with normal direct. And the diagnosis was Cirrhosis stage 3, and she was dead 60 days later from mistakes made in vancomycin dossing leading to renal failure.

[Redgreenblue]

don't just go from the fibroscan, if that was the case my liver would be dead.... I had liver biopsy which was able to to accurately the diagnosis of the fibrosis, which was F1. fibroscan accuracy varies because of other things like if you have eaten or drank, plus how much fat is around your liver etc.

[Dontworrydarling]

I only had mild fat , which is now mostly gone. A score of 202 or something like that. But yes I've emailed the secretary now on the basis of advice from this thread , so thank you. It's really upsetting to think that fibroscans can't be trusted. What's the point of them?