The Medical City Upgrades to the FibroScan 502 Touch: A Painless Test to Assess Liver Fat and Fibrosis

The Medical City Upgrades to the FibroScan 502 Touch:

A Painless Test to Assess Liver Fat and Fibrosis

The Medical City Center for Liver Disease Management and Transplantation (CLDMT) recently launched an innovation in liver disease management, the FibroScan 502 Touch.

The FibroScan 502 Touch system uses elastography as, a painless alternative to liver biopsy, to evaluate severity of liver disease. Elastography is a medical imaging modality that maps the elastic properties of soft tissue to give diagnostic information about the presence or the status of disease.

The launch was held at the Conference Room of The Medical City in Ortigas, Pasig City on February 28, 2017. Present during the launch were CLDMT head Dr. Ma. Vanessa De Villa, Hepatologists Dr. Janus P. Ong, Dr. Madalinee Eternity D.  Labio, and Dr. Edhel S. Tripon, TMC doctors and staff.

Dr. Tripon discussed new concepts and tools in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), while Dr. Labio talked about the use  of the FibroScan device in the clinics.

The Medical City first introduced the FibroScan in the Philippines in 2010. The Liver Center has upgraded to the FibroScan502 Touch to now provide patients and their doctors the  combined benefits of Vibration Controlled Transient Elastography (VCTE) and Controlled Attenuation Parameter (CAP) in a single, non-invasive test.

The FibroScan is a painless and speedy alternative to needle biopsies for the liver. It is useful in assessing fibrosis or scarring due to liver injury or long-term inflammation. The early detection of fibrosis is important in chronic liver disease, which includes conditions like Hepatitis B and C, alcoholic liver disease, and NAFLD.  The new feature of FibroScan 502 Touch, the CAP, can detect and quantify hepatic steatosis or liver fat, which can be helpful in diagnosing and managing patients with Fatty Liver and other conditions that cause excess  liver fat.

Liver Center doctors described the procedure as patient-friendly. A smooth small probe is pressed gently against the upper right side of the patient’s abdomen. The probe then generates a wave of vibration, creating a special pulse whose speed is measured via ultrasound. This process estimates how stiff the patient’s liver is—the stiffer the liver, the greater the degree of fibrosis or scarring. Based on the test’s results, the patient may then be given advice on their liver disease. 

If you or anyone you know is at risk of or suffer from a liver disease, ask your doctor about the FibroScan test at The Medical City.

The CLDMT is a world-class facility managed by a team of internationally trained and renowned liver surgeons, transplant surgeons, hepatologists, radiologists, oncologists, pediatricians, and intensivists. The Liver Center offers diagnostic, therapeutic, medical, surgical, and radiologic services for acute and chronic liver conditions. For inquiries, call the CLDMT at 9881000 local 6506.