http://hepatitis.about.com/od/livingwithhepatitis/a/biopsy.htm

The Facts About Liver Biopsy
From Katie West,
Your Guide to Hepatitis.
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If you will be having a liver biopsy it is important that you
thoroughly
discuss with your doctor both the procedure and purpose of the biopsy
and
get all of your questions answered before it is scheduled. These points
will
help to inform you of biopsy procedure and in guiding your questions.
What is a liver biopsy?
A liver biopsy is a procedure in which a small sample of liver tissue
is
removed from the liver in order to more closely analyze the liver and
diagnose liver conditions. Before a biopsy is performed, other less
intrusive tests such as x-rays and blood tests are usually issued. It
is
only after those tests come back and your doctor decides she/he needs
more
information that a biopsy is scheduled.

Why is a liver biopsy performed?
A liver biopsy can be especially helpful in diagnosing liver
abnormalities
and diseases, especially hepatitis and liver cancer, when other tests
are
inconclusive.

Biopsies can also help to predict treatment outcomes for chronic
Hepatitis C
patients and in the management of Hepatitis C.

How is a live biopsy performed?
There are several kinds of biopsy procedures, however the most common
is a
percutaneous biopsy. In this type of biopsy the procedure is performed
a the
hospital. The patient will lie on her/his back, placing their right
hand
above their head. The patient is given a local anesthetic starting at
the
skin level and continuing through the chest wall, into the liver to
numb the
biopsy area.

After the patient is fully numb, a biopsy needle is quickly inserted
and
removed while the patient holds her/his breathe. Ultrasound is
sometimes
used in guiding the biopsy needle. This needle is used to remove a
small
section of the liver. Because the area is numbed, the patient should
only
feel a small amount of dull pain and pressure during the biopsy.

The entire procedure typically takes about 20 minutes, with
approximately 5
to 10 seconds where the patient will have to remain completely still,
holding her/his breathe.

What to expect before the biopsy
Before the biopsy is performed, a doctor will run a series of blood
tests
and take a complete medical history. In most instances, patients are
instructed to stop taking aspirin, ibuprofren, anticoagulants, and
possibly
other medications for one week leading up to the biopsy and to not eat
and
drink for the 8 hours directly before the procedure.

After the biopsy
Most patients feel a minimal amount of pain after the biopsy procedure.
A
bandage is placed over the incision and the patient is instructed to
lie on
her/his right side for up to 2 hours to help stop the bleeding. In most
cases, patients are sent home the same day. Patients must have a ride
home
from the hospital and will need to be on bed rest for 8 to 12 hours.

The most common complaints after a liver biopsy is soreness around the
incision and pain in the right shoulder. Similar to before the
procedure, it
is essential that patients do not take aspirin, ibuprofren, or other
blood
thinning medications for one week after the procedure to ensure the
incision
and biopsy site heals properly.

What are possible complications of a liver biopsy?
Bleeding from the liver (at the site of the biopsy) is the most common
complication of a liver biopsy. It is reported that this occurs in 1
out of
every 100 patients. In most cases the bleeding is not severe enough to
require a blood transfusion, however in some cases a transfusion and/or
surgery is required to stop the bleeding. Other less common
complications
include puncture of the lung or gallbladder and infection. It is your
right
as a patient to be informed of and your doctor’s responsibility to
inform
you of these complications, however it is also important to remember
that
any surgery has the risk of complications, and that often those
complications are rare.





Sandra Tara Balduf (Ane)

Frontline Hepatitis Awareness

Support for patients and educational materials

http://frontline-hepatitis-awareness.com

509-888-0587





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