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Procedure, Complications & CPT Code of Percutaneous Kidney Biopsy
Submitted by Nic on December 13, 2012
A kidney biopsy is usually recommended by your doctor in order to confirm a suspected kidney problem. A long, thin needed is inserted through your back into your kidney to obtain a tissue sample from your kidney; this procedure is known as a percutaneous biopsy. The doctor is aided by an imaging device to help guide the needle and remove the tissue. This tissue is then examined under a microscope to see if your kidney is damaged or determine the severity of any disease that is affecting your kidney.
Procedure For Conducting a Percutaneous Kidney Biopsy
Patients are normally awake during a percutaneous kidney biopsy procedure, and you are required to lie on your abdomen. A nephrologist, radiologist or urologist could perform the procedure either at a hospital or clinic. The procedure usually takes an hour and involves the following steps.
- Your doctor will use an ultrasound probe to identify the correct spot to insert the needle.
- Local anesthesia is administered to that area to numb your skin, after which a tiny incision is made to insert the needle.
- Your doctor will instruct you to take a deep breath and hold it usually for 30 to 45 seconds while he collects the required tissue sample.
- You may feel a slight pinch or sting at the time when the anesthetic is applied.
- Again, when the biopsy needle is being inserted, there will be a sharp pain, but it will last only for a few seconds. Your doctor may insert the needle multiple times so that he can collect sufficient tissue.
- After getting enough tissue, the needle is removed, and your doctor will cover the incision with a bandage.
Biopsy test results are usually available from the pathology lab within a week.
Complications
Percutaneous kidney biopsy is normally a very safe procedure, but possible kidney biopsy complications include arteriovenous fistula, bleeding, pain, or in rare cases, a hematoma.
- An arteriovenous fistula could arise if during the procedure the needle damages the walls of the nearby artery or vein by accident. In this case, a fistula could form between the blood vessels. The fistula usually closes on its own.
- Bleeding is the most common complication after the procedure for patients, resulting in hematuria or blood in the urine. This normally stops a few days after the procedure.
- Pain is another complication that patients could feel after the procedure, but this normally lasts only for a few hours.
- On the rare occasion a hematoma forms, the kidney could get infected. This is normally treated with antibiotics or a surgical drain.
CPT (current procedural terminology) codes are numbers provided to medical practitioners denoting every service and task like diagnostics, medical and surgical that can be provided to a patient. The percutaneous kidney biopsy CPT code is 5523.
References
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