About this topic
The liver is a vital organ of your body. This organ: ‚
- Helps digest food
- Removes harmful substances from the blood
- Fights infection
- Stores nutrients, vitamins, and energy
A liver biopsy is the removal of a small tissue sample from the liver for testing. This is done to check how much disease you may have in your liver. ‚
What care is needed at home?
- Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do.
- Rest in bed or on the couch for the next 24 hours.
- Talk to your doctor about how to care for your biopsy site. Ask your doctor about:
- When you should change your bandages
- When you may take a bath or shower
- If you need to be careful with lifting things over 10 pounds
- When you may go back to your normal activities like work or driving
- Be sure to wash your hands before touching your wound or dressing.
What follow-up care is needed?
Your doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your progress. Be sure to keep these visits. It often takes at least 3 days before the biopsy results are ready. The results will help your doctor know what kind of problem you have. Together you can make a plan for more care. ‚
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Help with pain and swelling
- Prevent infection
Make sure to take all the drugs ordered by the doctor. ‚
Will physical activity be limited?
- You may have to limit your activity for 3 to 5 days after the procedure. Talk to your doctor about the right amount of activity for you.
- Talk to your doctor about when you can start sports or activities that involves rough contact to your belly.
What problems could happen?
- Pain
- Bleeding
- Infection
- Collapsed lung
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Signs of infection. These include a fever of 100.4 ‚ °F (38 ‚ °C) or higher, chills, or wound that will not heal.
- Signs of wound infection. These include swelling, redness, warmth around the wound; too much pain when touched; yellowish, greenish, or bloody discharge; foul smell coming from the cut site; cut site opens up.
- You are not feeling better in 2 to 3 days or you are feeling worse
Helpful tips
If the biopsy site suddenly bleeds, lie down and have someone put direct pressure on it until the bleeding stops. Call you doctor right away. ‚
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my procedure.
- I can tell you how to care for my cut site.
- I can tell you what I will do if I have a fever, chills, redness, swelling, or drainage.
Where can I learn more?
National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse ‚
http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/liverbiopsy/#liver ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
Copyright
Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚