liver biopsy without IV sedation

[Jeff88]

Hi All. I am scheduled for a biopsy and learned that they offer an option not to use IV sedation. I have done many biopsies before, but they routinely use IV anesthetic. I wonder if anybody has experience of a biopsy where they use only local anesthesia around the area of needle stick. Was it too much discomfort? The advantage for me is to be able to drive home by myself and perhaps saving some $$.

Jeff

[FaLaLa137]

I have had 2 biopsies done, the first one with sedation (I recommend) and the last one without. In the last one I had excruciating pain afterwards and I was told later that it is rare there is pain with the biopsy but that whoever did it must of hit a nerve and when they do that it can be painful.

[garrygee]

I've had them both ways and I think the docs that do them with sedation just aren't very confident in their technique.  The easiest and best were the ones without sedation at the SF VA hospital but Dr. Wright.  God I loved her:)

[MeWithC]

I had no anesthetic what so ever...no problem....it only takes a second anyway.

[HectorSF]

Well of course that explains why you have had so many biopsies. Liver biopsies are an essential part of the management of post transplant patients. So they are done a periodic basic as a monitoring tool to assess the health of the donor liver. It is also used after liver transplantation to determine the cause of elevated liver tests and determine if rejection is present.

As always if you should have any questions you should contact your transplant center and ask for further information.

Good luck!
Hector

[Jeff88]

Thank you for your replies. I still have a week to think about it and your experience matters. This is my 4th biopsy in 17 years, so on average I did have one in 4 years. I had a transplant 10 years ago and when sometimes liver enzymes increase, they need to evaluate the possibility of rejection.

[crossroadsec]

I slept through it, so I think it was heavy sedation. I will tell you that I was really sore for several days. Why have you had so many? My sis drove me home and I was in bed for 24 hours. Keep us posted.
Karen:)

[springfever]

I just had local anesthesia and was glad of it.  I had little discomfort and was sitting up right away.  The hardest part was staying the required amount of time so they could monitor me.   They would not have done the procedure though if I did not have someone to drive me home.

[HectorSF]

The standard for a percutaneous liver biopsy (inserting a long needle between two of the right lower ribs to remove a sample of liver) is having the skin draped and preped with betadine , then a local anesthetic, usually lidocaine 1% is injected into the area from the skin to the sack around the liver. When numb a small incision is made with a scalpel and the biopsy needle is inserted and takes the tissue sample when you hold your breath.

Many biopsies? Perhaps you have other health issues you haven't mentioned. A biopsy every 3-5 years is all that is normally needed.

Good luck.
Hector

[Boobert]

I've had 3 all done with no IV sedation and it wasn't bad at all.