Medical Health Tests Articles Biopsy

To make a precise diagnosis of the extent of damage in a diseased liver, physicians rely on a liver biopsy procedure. Since the treatment, advice given to the patient, and the prognosis depend on the doctor's understanding of the condition of the liver, this procedure assumes great importance as a diagnostic tool. A small sample is removed from the liver with a needle and examined under the microscope to pinpoint disease or damage to the liver. A trained physician may choose to use any one of the three techniques, percutaneous liver biopsy, transvenous liver biopsy, or laproscopic liver biopsy, to obtain a sample tissue from a specific area of the liver. Liver biopsy procedure code may be different for each one. Ultrasound imaging or CT scan imaging techniques may be used to guide the physician's needle into the liver to collect one or more samples. During the liver biopsy procedure, the position of the patient is important. The patient lies on his back, with his right hand above the head. The procedure is done under local anesthesia for adults, though children below ten years may be given general anesthesia. Read more on paracentesis procedure.

For patients with abnormal blood coagulation or for those with a fluid build-up in the abdomen, a transvenous liver biopsy is advised. A tube inserted through the jugular vein into the hepatic vein is guided to the liver. A liquid sensitive to X-ray is injected into the tube so that the doctor can visualize the blood vessels. He then chooses the location in the liver where he can pass the biopsy needle into the liver through the tube to collect samples. The procedure is carried out under local anesthesia, and the patient remains in the hospital for a couple of hours after so that they can monitor the liver biopsy procedure pain and soreness at the site of the incision.

Laproscopy or key-hole surgery, as it is often called, can be used to take samples from several areas of the liver with one or more small incisions. A tiny plastic tube called cannula is inserted into the abdomen and the abdomen is filled with gas to create space for the doctor to work. A biopsy needle is inserted into the liver through the cannula to withdraw the required sample. Recovery and healing are faster thanks to the small incision. Liver biopsy procedure risks include the possibility of hemorrhage, accidental puncture of other internal organs, and infection.