Last Updated:
July 27th, 2026
FibroScan
At Oasis Bradford, every client receives a FibroScan liver assessment as part of their addiction treatment programme, at no additional cost.
Alcohol and certain drugs can affect the liver long before symptoms become noticeable. By including a FibroScan during admission, our medical team can gain valuable insight into your liver health from the very beginning of treatment, helping us deliver safer, more personalised care.
The scan is quick, painless and completely non-invasive. It takes around 10 minutes to perform, provides immediate results and requires no needles, sedation or recovery time.
Because physical health is an important part of addiction recovery, we believe understanding the condition of your liver should be a routine part of treatment rather than an optional extra.
What is a FibroScan?
A FibroScan is a quick, non-invasive scan that assesses the health of your liver. It measures two key indicators:
- Liver stiffness, which can indicate scarring of the liver (fibrosis)
- Fat levels in the liver, which may indicate fatty liver disease (hepatic steatosis)
The scan uses a technology called transient elastography, which sends gentle vibrations through the liver. A small handheld probe measures how quickly these vibrations travel through the tissue, allowing clinicians to assess liver stiffness without the need for needles or surgery.
The procedure feels very similar to a standard ultrasound and is painless. Most scans take around 10 minutes to complete, with results available immediately.
Compared with a traditional liver biopsy, a FibroScan is:
- Non-invasive
- Pain-free
- Needle-free
- Radiation-free
- Completed in around 10 minutes
- Able to provide immediate results
Because it is quick, safe and highly effective, FibroScan has become an established tool in hospitals and specialist liver clinics for detecting liver damage, monitoring liver health and supporting earlier intervention when problems are identified.
The hidden impact of alcohol on the liver
The liver is one of the hardest-working organs in the body, carrying out hundreds of essential functions every day. It filters toxins from the blood, processes nutrients, stores energy, produces proteins and helps break down alcohol. Because of its remarkable ability to regenerate, the liver can continue functioning even when it has already sustained significant damage.
Heavy or prolonged alcohol use is one of the leading causes of liver disease in the UK. Each time alcohol is processed, it places the liver under strain. While the liver can often repair itself after periods of abstinence, repeated exposure over months or years may eventually overwhelm its ability to heal, leading to permanent scarring and reduced liver function.
One of the biggest challenges is that liver disease often develops silently. Many people experience no symptoms until the condition has progressed to a more advanced stage, making early assessment particularly important.
Liver damage caused by alcohol typically develops in stages:
Because these changes often occur without obvious symptoms, many people are unaware that their liver has been affected until significant damage has already occurred. This is why early screening with a FibroScan can be so valuable. By detecting signs of liver disease before symptoms appear, our clinical team can build a more informed treatment plan, provide appropriate medical support during detoxification and, where necessary, arrange further investigation or specialist follow-up.
Can drug use affect the liver?
Although alcohol is the most common cause of liver disease, many drugs can also place stress on the liver. Depending on the substance involved, liver damage may occur because the liver has to process toxic chemicals, contaminants or large quantities of medication.
People who have experienced prolonged dependence on opioids, stimulants or other substances may also have an increased risk of viral hepatitis, nutritional deficiencies or other health conditions that affect liver function.
FibroScan provides an additional layer of information that helps our medical team understand each client’s physical health alongside their addiction treatment needs.
Why is a FibroScan important during addiction treatment?
Long-term alcohol use places significant strain on the liver, and some substances can also contribute to liver damage either directly or through associated health risks, such as viral hepatitis, poor nutrition or the use of multiple substances. One of the challenges is that liver disease often develops silently, with many people experiencing no symptoms until the damage has become more advanced.
A FibroScan allows our clinical team to assess the health of your liver at the very beginning of treatment. This quick, non-invasive scan measures liver stiffness, which can indicate scarring (fibrosis), and estimates the amount of fat stored in the liver (steatosis). Together, these measurements provide valuable insight into your overall physical health and help identify potential problems that may otherwise go unnoticed.
Having a clearer picture of your liver health enables us to make more informed clinical decisions throughout your stay. It also ensures your physical health receives the same level of attention as your recovery from addiction, supporting a more holistic approach to treatment.
As part of every admission at Oasis Bradford, a FibroScan helps our team to:
- Detect early signs of liver damage before symptoms develop
- Identify conditions such as fatty liver disease, fibrosis and, where appropriate, signs of more advanced liver disease
- Tailor your medical care and addiction treatment to reflect your individual physical health needs
- Monitor clients who may require additional medical support during detoxification
- Determine whether further investigations or referral to specialist liver services may be beneficial
- Establish a baseline for liver health, allowing future progress to be monitored where appropriate
For many people, a FibroScan provides reassurance that their liver is healthy. For others, it offers an opportunity to identify problems at an earlier stage, when lifestyle changes, abstinence from alcohol or drugs, and appropriate medical care can help prevent further damage and, in some cases, allow the liver to recover.
By making FibroScan a standard part of our programme, Oasis Bradford ensures every client receives a more complete assessment of their physical health, allowing us to provide safer, more personalised care throughout detoxification and residential addiction treatment.
What happens during a FibroScan?
Hearing that you need a medical scan can sometimes feel daunting, but a FibroScan is a quick, simple and completely non-invasive procedure. It does not involve needles, injections or sedation, and most people find it no more uncomfortable than having a routine ultrasound scan.
The appointment usually takes around 10 minutes, with the scan itself lasting just a few minutes. Results are available immediately, allowing our clinical team to discuss your liver health as part of your assessment.
During your appointment
- You’ll be asked to lie comfortably on an examination couch, usually on your back, with your right arm raised behind your head. This position helps provide the best access to your liver.
- A small amount of water-based gel is applied to the skin over the right side of your ribcage. The gel helps the probe make good contact with your skin and ensures accurate measurements.
- A handheld FibroScan probe is gently placed against your side. The probe sends painless, low-frequency vibrations through the liver to measure its stiffness and assess the amount of fat present.
- You’ll feel a series of gentle taps or vibrations as multiple measurements are taken. These sensations are very mild, and the scan does not damage the liver or expose you to radiation.
- Once enough readings have been collected, the scan is complete. Your clinician can review the results immediately and explain what they mean in the context of your overall health and treatment.
Understanding your FibroScan results
One of the advantages of a FibroScan is that the results are available immediately. While the scan provides valuable information about the health of your liver, it is not used in isolation. Instead, the results form part of a comprehensive medical assessment, helping our clinical team build the clearest possible picture of your physical health.
A FibroScan measures two important aspects of liver health:
Looking at the whole picture
Your FibroScan results are considered alongside a range of other clinical information to ensure the most accurate assessment possible. This includes:
- Blood test results, including liver function tests
- Your medical history and any existing health conditions
- A physical examination by our medical team
- Any symptoms you may be experiencing
- Your alcohol or substance use history
- Current medications and any medical requirements during detoxification
By combining all of this information, our clinicians can develop a treatment plan that supports both your recovery from addiction and your wider physical health.
What happens if the scan identifies a problem?
A FibroScan does not provide a diagnosis on its own, but it can highlight areas that may require further investigation. If your results suggest signs of fatty liver disease, fibrosis or more advanced liver damage, our medical team will explain the findings clearly and discuss what they mean for you.
Depending on the results, this may include:
- Additional blood tests or medical investigations
- Monitoring your liver health during treatment
- Adjustments to your detoxification or medical care where appropriate
- Referral for specialist liver assessment following your stay, if needed
For many people, the results provide reassurance that their liver is functioning well. For others, they offer an important opportunity to detect liver disease at an earlier stage, when stopping alcohol or drug use, alongside appropriate medical treatment, can help prevent further damage and improve long-term health.
Whatever your results show, they are used to ensure you receive the safest, most personalised care possible throughout your treatment at Oasis Bradford.
Speak to our team
If you’d like to learn more about FibroScan or any aspect of treatment at Oasis Bradford, our friendly admissions team is here to help.
Whether you have questions about the scan, your assessment or the treatment process as a whole, we’ll take the time to explain what to expect and answer any concerns you may have. From your first conversation through to admission, our experienced team is committed to ensuring you feel informed, supported and confident in taking the next step towards recovery.
Get in touch today to find out how our comprehensive addiction programme helps us provide safe, personalised care from the very start of your treatment journey.
