Liver ultrasound

I received an email yesterday from my PCP, that the bariatric doc wants me to get an ultrasound of my liver.  Has anyone else experienced this? What are they looking for?  I am rather perplexed

I would suggest you call and ask why.  I have 3rd stage liver disease and have never had an ultrasound done on my liver.  Some get them on their gallbladders to see if there are stones present as some Drs remove the gallbladder during surgery if its bad but others don't.  I have had biopsies done on my liver based on my blood work and I requested a biopsy when the VSG was done but never had an ultrasound done.

Yeah - I am trying to get ahold of them.  I already had my gall bladder out a few years ago. I am thinking it might have to do with something that might have been in my lab work. 

OK sometimes you can have stones in your biliary ducts too.  They might be looking there for that.  If you do have a liver issue be sure to see a hepatologist.  There is no one better to work on liver problems.  It also does not mean you will not be able to have surgery.  My liver doc is the one that suggested it.  I can't have a transplant unless my weight is within normal ranges.  So don't worry about that issue.  If you do have  issues they will probably do a liver biopsy one time in your life and that will tell you for sure what is going on.  Please let me know how this comes out, I can give you lots of info if you do have a liver issue.  We will just pray you don't.

Stephanie thank you so much for your help.  I am waiting for Radiology to call me so we can schedule this and get it done.  At least I am feeling a little more at ease.  Thank you again

I had a liver ultrasound long before I even considered WLS. Initially my ALT and AST levels were elevated. They did the ultrasound to look for fatty deposits or the possibility of tumors(low possibility). Ended up my liver was full of fatty deposits and enlarged by quite a bit due to what was eventually diagnosed as early stage NASH. They probably just want to see the size of it more than anything if there hasn't been any blood work indicating a problem. My insurance covered the ultrasound at 100% so I was glad to have it.

Thank you as well Jason!  My ultrasound is covered as well - thank goodness.  I got ahold of my local Kaiser and they couldnt get me in until mid July.  I had to ask, is there anything sooner?  I want this done so I can move forward with all this.  So YES I got an appt on the 22nd!!! I have my Lifestyle Changes and Nutrition 101 classes on the 20th.  So looks like next week will be about this process!!

Nope not pre-VSG....but I am workin hard to help my liver out tho (biliary colic cuz I refused gallbladder surgery 2 yrs post op)  Gallbladder under control.. for past few months... workin on me liver now ;-)
Limiting my ETOH to occasionally tearin up the town HA!,  NO uneccessary CHEMICALS, MEDICATIONS, DRUGS....ADDED ^ diet rich vit E foods as often as I can (beet greens, olives, nuts, avocados etc) spices tumeric and then vitamin E, Omega 3 supps , digestive enzymes, dandelion extract and silymarin at ~ 9 pm. Im not fanatical about it  but more consious, BETTER than before! For almost a year...liver enymes are good...liver still a bit enlarged but no where near as bad as it WAS, from gallbladder attacks, stone formin, rapid weight loss

What are yer pre-labs like? Liver enzymes, cholesterol worryin yer docs?
Got alot of weight to lose?  ASK EM what are they looking for!!!  That's what yer payin em for ;-)

Docs may ask for an ultrasound if suspected NAFLD or NASH
NAFLD most common with us obese/former obese having metabolic syndrome  (diabetesType II , ^ BP, ^trigs (a cholesterol), high LDL "lousy" cholesterol, low HDL "happy cholesterol",  insulin resistance i.e.)    http://www.digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/nash/

an ultrasound will determine size of yer liver and also...outter TEXTURE!! of it (coarse may mean scarrin/some kinda damage)

During rapid weight loss phase..our livers are producing 2-3xs the NORMAL amount of cholesterol, why most of us wind up needin our gallbladder taken out (gallstones are mainly CHOLESTEROL) but it originates as a BILIARY/liver problem!...so HEADS UP if ya have fatty liver disease!! An increase in cholesterol, an increase in SIZE of yer liver as well!!
Post op ..watch them fats  (TRANS (baked sweets flour), SATS  pork esp, red/processed meats) and hydrogenated oils for the first 6 months...or just have them put ya on ACTIGALL/URSODIAL  or ? what it does is keeps the bile FLUIDY...and moving into the intestine (since ya ain't got a GB)... not thickenin, building up, getting stored in and damagin yer liver!!  Exercise a bit EVERYDAY...15 minutes only!!  Take a walk! Bunch of stuff YOU can do to get healthier! Keep us posted! 

Do what they ask...but you ASK TOO!  KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!!! be yer own PT ADVOCATE...FIND YER VOICE...in case ya misplaced/ lost it somewhere! YER GONNA NEED IT!!   post VSG too ya know ,-)

Much luck Nic...
This is YOUR story!  

I did get ahold of them and they want to check the size due to the Ferritin and some other labs that came out high.  The unfortunate thing was when all this came to a head yesterday, no one was in the office so I had to take care of it this morning.  Meanwhile doing some research on the tests,etc. 

Thank you so much Carmelita!! I 

not sure why but ask. I had an ultrasound of my gall bladder to see if I had stones which i didn't. During my surgery my surgeon decided to biopsy my liver as it was alarmingly fatty. Turns out it was just fatty and no disease. Now that I am at goal, no more fatty liver!!  So they may be looking at how big and fatty your liver might be (all obese people have fatty liver).  GL   Diane