Question about a fatty liver?

I had my gallbladder out in 2008... something like that and I wasn't told I have a fatty liver, would it be weird to call the surgeons office now and ask if I did?  (for all you smarty pants, not right now but to call sometime next week) lol

Can they tell you have a fatty liver from bloodwork?

Thanks for reading.

I don't think the state of your liver in 2008 would necessarily be indicative of the state of your liver today so I wouldn't bother calling them. Besides, if you showed signs of fatty liver disease I think your physician wouldn't have just let you go on your merry way post op without some follow-up and monitoring.

Fatty liver is not detected in blood work (though if it is so advanced to be causing liver damage your liver enzymes might be elevated.)

Did you have an abdominal ultrasound as part of your assessment? If so, those results will be the most accurate in determining if you have a fatty liver. (Assuming a CT scan or MRI weren't ordered.) The radiology technician takes measurements of all your abdominal organs during the ultrasound and submits this as part of his report.

Hope this helps.

Thea

Nope the condition of your liver three years ago doesn't mean that much about your liver today. Are you worried about surgery - is this why you are asking?

Basically, if you lose weight, for most, the liver will be shrunk. Optifast should get you there just fine. I imagine a few people out there actually have fatty liver disease and won't shrink enough for surgery but I cannot say that I have actually heard of many like that.

Dawn

Dawn is right...I am one of those people who had fatty liver at the time of surgery.  Opti didnt do much to shrink it.

My surgery took an hour longer as a result but the surgeon was still able to do it.  He did mention to me before surgery that he'd do his best to go for the RNY but if the liver was in the way he'd give me a VSG instead.  I was fine with that but glad he worked his magic and I ended up with the RNY I wanted.

I believe the abdo ultrasound is a normal stage of the assessment process in Ontario, non?

No.  Not all centres order an ultrasound.  I didnt have one done - I went through Humber.

I'm in Ottawa and I never had an abdominal ultrasound.  The internist only asked me if I had ever been told I had fatty liver disease....NOPE. 

Judy

Thank you ladies and gentlemen, I was asked by the nurse if I was ever told I had a fatty liver and no I haven't been.

I was just asking because I didn't know if a fatty liver was something someone had or not and what problems it would be for surgery.

Thanks for all your answers, I'm not too worried about it.

My situation was identical to Simona's. I had a fatty liver prior to OF. Luckily it shrunk enough for him to do RNY instead of a sleeve, however, just like Simona he said my surgery took a little longer and was a little more technically difficult.

I had an ultrasound on my liver 3 years ago and I was told I had a fatty liver. Earlier this year as part of my bariatric testing I had another abdominal ultrasound and my liver was totally normal. It was of normal size and consistency. I even joked around with the surgeon and said since my liver is normal, does that mean I don't have to do optifast, but of course he didnt go for that, but he did offer me a surgery date of one week later meaning I would have only had to do 6 days of Opti.