Liver Elastography — Non-Invasive Fibrosis Assessment | Epoch St Ives
Expert specialist liver elastography at Epoch Medical Imaging, St Ives Shopping Village. Non-invasive liver stiffness assessment for hepatitis, NAFLD and liver disease. Serving the North Shore.
What Is Liver Elastography and How Does It Work?
Liver elastography is an advanced ultrasound technique that measures the stiffness of liver tissue — providing a reliable, non-invasive way to assess liver health without the need for a biopsy. A healthy liver is soft and pliable. When the liver develops scar tissue (fibrosis) due to ongoing inflammation or disease, it gradually becomes stiffer.
How it works:
– A gentle mechanical wave is sent through the liver using the ultrasound probe.
– The speed at which the wave travels through the tissue is measured — stiffer tissue transmits the wave faster.
– The result is expressed as a numerical stiffness value in kilopascals (kPa).
– This value is compared against established reference ranges to estimate the degree of fibrosis.
The process is quick, completely painless, non-invasive, and uses no radiation. At Epoch Medical Imaging in St Ives Shopping Village, liver elastography is available alongside standard liver ultrasound for a comprehensive liver health assessment.
Can Elastography Replace a Liver Biopsy?
For many patients with chronic liver disease, elastography has significantly reduced the need for liver biopsy — a major advance in patient care and comfort.
Key advantages of elastography over biopsy:
– Completely non-invasive — no needles, no sedation, no procedural risk
– Assesses a much larger volume of liver tissue than a biopsy sample, which only captures a tiny portion
– Can be repeated safely over time to monitor progress or treatment response
– Results are available at the same appointment
When combined with blood-based liver tests, elastography accurately identifies patients with clinically significant fibrosis who may need treatment. Biopsy is still needed in selected complex cases — your gastroenterologist or GP will advise. For most patients with hepatitis B, hepatitis C, NAFLD, or alcohol-related liver disease, elastography provides the information needed without any invasive procedure.
Who Needs a Liver Stiffness Assessment?
Liver elastography is recommended for patients who have — or are at risk of having — chronic liver disease.
Patients commonly referred for liver elastography include those with:
– Hepatitis B or hepatitis C (to assess fibrosis stage and guide treatment decisions)
– Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD/MASLD) — particularly with metabolic risk factors
– Alcohol-related liver disease
– Autoimmune liver conditions
– Persistently elevated liver function tests without a clear cause
– A fatty liver identified on previous ultrasound
– Known liver disease being monitored on treatment
Your GP, gastroenterologist, or hepatologist will refer you when the result is likely to meaningfully influence management. At Epoch Medical Imaging in St Ives Shopping Village, we provide liver elastography with specialist radiologist RANZCR-accredited reporting, serving patients from Turramurra, Pymble, Gordon, Killara, Wahroonga, and across the North Shore.
How to Prepare & What to Expect During the Scan
Liver elastography requires a short period of fasting to ensure accurate and reliable expert diagnostic results.
How to Prepare:
– Fast for a minimum of 2 hours before your appointment — ideally 4 hours. Eating increases portal blood flow into the liver, which can temporarily affect stiffness measurements.
– Water is always permitted and encouraged.
– Take your regular medications as normal.
– If you have diabetes and are concerned about fasting, please speak with our team before your appointment.
What to expect on the day:
– You lie on your back with your right arm raised.
– The sonographer places the ultrasound probe gently over the right side of your abdomen.
– Multiple measurements are taken in a standardised way — the process takes 15 to 20 minutes.
– No injections, no discomfort, and no recovery time.
– You can eat and resume all normal activities immediately after.
Results are reviewed by our specialist radiologist and sent to your referring doctor within 24 to 48 hours. Call Epoch Medical Imaging on (02) 9129 6999 to book.
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