Diagnostic · Liver Disease Screening
Liver DiseaseScreening
Painless ultrasound-based elastography. Catch fatty liver disease before significant scarring develops.
Fatty liver disease is now the most common chronic liver condition in the United States — and most people have no symptoms until significant damage has already occurred. Sulphur Surgical Clinic offers painless, non-invasive liver elastography to screen for fatty liver, fibrosis, and cirrhosis well before they become irreversible.
Why screening matters.
Fatty liver disease — the build-up of excess fat in the liver — affects roughly a quarter of American adults. It typically progresses silently: fat deposits, then inflammation, then fibrosis (scarring), and eventually cirrhosis. Most people have no symptoms until late stages, when treatment options narrow significantly.
You may benefit from screening if you have any of these risk factors:
- Type 2 diabetes
- Obesity, especially central / abdominal obesity
- Hypertension
- High cholesterol or triglycerides
- Metabolic syndrome (a cluster of the above)
- Significant alcohol use
- Family history of liver disease
How elastography works.
Elastography is an ultrasound-based test that measures the firmness (stiffness) of the liver. A specialized probe sends gentle pulses through the liver and measures how quickly they travel — faster waves indicate firmer tissue, which correlates with fibrosis.
The test:
- Takes about 15 minutes
- Requires no needles, no sedation, no anesthesia
- Has no recovery time — you walk out and resume normal activity
- Provides results the same day
Traditionally, the only reliable way to assess liver fibrosis was a needle biopsy. Elastography gives similar information about liver stiffness without the invasiveness of biopsy, and is now the recommended first-line tool for many patients.
What comes next.
If your liver appears healthy: we focus on prevention — the lifestyle factors that matter for long-term liver health, particularly weight, diabetes control, and alcohol intake.
If fibrosis or significant fatty change is detected: we work with you on a plan. Most early- to mid-stage disease responds well to changes in the underlying drivers — weight loss, blood sugar control, reduced alcohol use, and treatment of associated metabolic conditions. Advanced disease may involve referral to hepatology for additional management.
Early-stage liver disease is treatable. Late-stage liver disease often isn't. The window for meaningful change is wider than most people realize — but only if the damage is caught before significant scarring develops.
Why Sulphur Surgical Clinic
Care close to home, by surgeons who have practiced here for decades.
i.
Three board-certified surgeons
Drs. Devin Seale, Stephen Castleberry, and Matthew Ayo — all MD, FACS, board-certified in General Surgery, in active full-time clinical practice and accepting new patients.
ii.
Two locations across Southwest Louisiana
Main office on Cypress Street in Sulphur; vein center satellite on West Sale Road in Lake Charles. Procedures performed in partnership with West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital and Imperial Calcasieu Surgical Center.
iii.
50 years caring for Calcasieu Parish
Founded in 1975, locally owned, family-run. Faster scheduling than hospital-based centers and a personal, surgeon-led experience — not a corporate system.
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions patients ask about this procedure.
What is fatty liver disease?
Fatty liver disease (also called NAFLD — non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, or its newer name, MASLD) is the build-up of excess fat in the liver in people who drink little or no alcohol. It is now the most common chronic liver disease in the United States. Most people have no symptoms in the early stages. Untreated, it can progress to inflammation (NASH/MASH), fibrosis (scarring), and eventually cirrhosis — at which point the damage is largely irreversible.
Who should be screened?
Screening is most useful for adults with one or more risk factors: type 2 diabetes, obesity (especially central / abdominal obesity), hypertension, high cholesterol or triglycerides, metabolic syndrome, or significant alcohol use. Family history of liver disease is another reason to consider screening. Your primary care doctor or our office can help you decide whether screening makes sense for you.
What is liver elastography?
Elastography is a painless, non-invasive ultrasound-based test that measures the firmness (stiffness) of the liver. A healthy liver is soft; a liver with significant scarring is firmer. The test takes about 15 minutes, requires no anesthesia or needles, and can detect fibrosis and cirrhosis at stages that may not yet show up on routine blood work or standard ultrasound.
How does elastography compare to a liver biopsy?
Traditionally, the only reliable way to assess liver fibrosis was a needle biopsy — an invasive procedure with small but real risks. Elastography gives similar information about liver stiffness with no needle, no sedation, and no recovery time. It is now the recommended first-line tool for many patients who would previously have needed biopsy. Biopsy is still useful in select cases.
Is it covered by insurance?
Liver elastography is covered by most insurance plans when there is a clinical indication (risk factors, abnormal liver labs, etc.). Our billing team will verify your coverage before your appointment. For self-pay patients, the test is significantly less expensive than alternative diagnostic approaches.
What happens after the test?
You'll get the results the same day. If your liver appears healthy, we focus on prevention — lifestyle factors that matter for long-term liver health. If fibrosis or other concerning findings are detected, we work with you on a plan: typically lifestyle changes, treatment of the underlying drivers (diabetes, weight, alcohol), and ongoing monitoring. Advanced disease may involve referral to hepatology.
Why screen for something with no symptoms?
Because early-stage liver disease is treatable, and late-stage liver disease often isn't. Catching fatty liver disease before significant scarring develops gives you the opportunity to make changes that can stop or reverse the damage. Once cirrhosis develops, treatment options narrow significantly. The screening test is painless and quick — there is very little reason not to know.
Ready to schedule?
Most patients are seen within two weeks.
Sulphur main office: (337) 527-6363
Lake Charles vein center: (337) 425-9300