FATTY LIVER Beyond the Biopsy

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Raising Awareness About Liver Testing Alternatives
AN EASIER, LESS EXPENSIVE DIAGNOSIS
Non-Invasive Approaches Can Lower Risks and Cut Costs

Hearing that you need a liver biopsy can be worrisome. Yet, many patients undergo an uncomfortable and risky procedure when a less invasive–and less expensive–approach would achieve the same thing, all because they didn’t know that there were other options.

Liver biopsy is risky and invasive. In the case of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its advanced stages of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), it can be unreliable and expensive. A typical liver biopsy can cost more than $7,000. For certain patients, advances in technology are offering new, non-invasive ways to get an accurate diagnosis without having to undergo a costly surgical procedure.

Non-invasive diagnostic options include:

● Ultrasound
● Shear Wave Elastography
● MRE (magnetic resonance elastography)

These non-invasive approaches can also mean fewer doctor visits, lower costs, a quicker diagnosis, and no surgical risk. Even so, many are unaware of their options and choose an invasive biopsy procedure due to lack of information.

A new awareness effort aims to change that by educating providers and empowering patients to make choices that will impact their health and their pocketbook.