Liver biopsy

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Liver biopsy

Tell your health care provider about:

• Bleeding problems you may have
• Drug allergies you may have
• Medications you are taking
• Whether you are pregnant

You must sign a consent form. Blood tests are sometimes done to test for your blood's ability to clot. You will be told not eat or drink anything for the 8 hours before the test.

For infants and children:

The preparation you can provide for this test depends on your child's age and experience. For specific information regarding how you can prepare your child, see the following:

• Infant test or procedure preparation (birth to 1 year)
• Toddler test or procedure preparation (1 to 3 years)
• Preschooler test or procedure preparation (3 to 6 years)
• School age test or procedure preparation (6 to 12 years)
• Adolescent test or procedure preparation (12 to 18 years)

There is a stinging pain from the anesthetic needle and when the anesthetic is injected. The biopsy needle may be felt as a deep pressure and dull pain. This pain is sometimes felt in the shoulder.

The biopsy helps diagnose a number of liver diseases. The procedure also helps in the assessment of the stage (early, advanced) of liver disease. This is especially important in hepatitis C infection.

In addition, the biopsy helps detect:

• cancer
• infections
• the cause of an unexplained enlargement of the liver
• abnormal levels of liver enzymes that have been detected in blood tests

Review Date: 01/22/2007
Reviewed By: Jenifer K. Lehrer, MD, Department of Gastroenterology, Frankford-Torresdale Hospital, Jefferson Health System, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.