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liver biopsy
Hi everyone,I'm new to this forum and i was hoping that i could get some opinions on liver biopsy. i was diagnosed with hep c in 1995. although i' m pretty sure i got it in 85.when i had a liver panel done the first time my viral load was 350,000.i was supposed to have a biopsy but was terrified and didn't have it.that was in 2005. in the begining of 2007 i had another panel done and my viral load shot to 5,000,000. The reason I' so scared is i 've known of at 3 cases that the people passed away within 2or3 months after having them. Are they nessesary? do they hurt? I really need some advice.i just dont know what to do. thank you
Good morning, thank you to all that posted. my first appt. back to my gastroendocrinoligist is set fo jan 10. i'm gonna go and get started. thankyou again. have a great day.
I've had 4 (or is it 5 now?) biopsies, including one for a tumor sample. In my opinion, there is little to worry about when doing the biopsy for assessing liver cell condition. wed1942 covered the experiences that I have had. Don't let fear of the procedure stop you from getting the tests you need.
i wish i had gotten a bx when i first found out i had hep..i waited a year till i got on this forum...i did have some pain after it for a while but no big deal...everyone i have heard from that got a bx was glad they did..good luck...billy
Please get the biopsy. I have had 2 and they are not so bad. They are really helpful with treatment planning. Try this site. It has a lot of informative information on biopsies and some testimonies.
frijole
http://www.janis7hepc.com/biopsy.htm
frijole
http://www.janis7hepc.com/biopsy.htm
Hi!
I just had a liver biopsy last week. I had it done CT guided, which means that a radiologist actually did the biopsy and he had me in a CT scanner that showed him where to go. They also sedated me and I don't even remember them sticking me. It was absolutely painless and I didn't have the slightest pain afterwards. I was worried about having it done too. I think the biggest issue is bleeding afterwards. They kept me three hours and had me lie on my right side for about an hour to help hold pressure on the area. Oh, they should do some bleeding studies on you to make sure that your platelet count is OK and they'll also check a PT, PTT. They do this before you have the biopsy done. You'll have to be off all aspirin and any other medicine that could increase your chances of bleeding. This includes Advil type meds. I think the liver biopsy is the only way they can actually look at the cells to tell how much damage there is to your liver. I found out that I'm a stage 3-4 with some cirrhosis. They said I was a grade 3 also. I'm not sure what all of this means except that I need to start on treatment soon. I'm going to my doc on the 21st and will see what he says. It was a gastroenterologist that I had originally gone to but I'm also seeing a hepatologist and think that's who I am going to stick with. I have had no symptoms and just accidentally found out that I had elevated liver enzymes which led me to being tested for the Hep C. So it's very scary when you feel fine and have something this bad. Anyway, hope this helps. I'm kinda at the same place you are I think. Scared but knowing I have to do something. I think I might have been exposed way back in 1969 when I had to have blood transfusions after a car accident. So I'm pretty sure if I've had it this long that I have a good bit of damage done. Good luck to you.
I just had a liver biopsy last week. I had it done CT guided, which means that a radiologist actually did the biopsy and he had me in a CT scanner that showed him where to go. They also sedated me and I don't even remember them sticking me. It was absolutely painless and I didn't have the slightest pain afterwards. I was worried about having it done too. I think the biggest issue is bleeding afterwards. They kept me three hours and had me lie on my right side for about an hour to help hold pressure on the area. Oh, they should do some bleeding studies on you to make sure that your platelet count is OK and they'll also check a PT, PTT. They do this before you have the biopsy done. You'll have to be off all aspirin and any other medicine that could increase your chances of bleeding. This includes Advil type meds. I think the liver biopsy is the only way they can actually look at the cells to tell how much damage there is to your liver. I found out that I'm a stage 3-4 with some cirrhosis. They said I was a grade 3 also. I'm not sure what all of this means except that I need to start on treatment soon. I'm going to my doc on the 21st and will see what he says. It was a gastroenterologist that I had originally gone to but I'm also seeing a hepatologist and think that's who I am going to stick with. I have had no symptoms and just accidentally found out that I had elevated liver enzymes which led me to being tested for the Hep C. So it's very scary when you feel fine and have something this bad. Anyway, hope this helps. I'm kinda at the same place you are I think. Scared but knowing I have to do something. I think I might have been exposed way back in 1969 when I had to have blood transfusions after a car accident. So I'm pretty sure if I've had it this long that I have a good bit of damage done. Good luck to you.
i also have known a few people that passed away shortly after a liver biopsy but this was because they biopsied a mass in the liver. this sometimes will cause the cancer to spread to other areas and this is why some people die months after biopsies. if you are having a liver biopsy just to see what your status is because of the hep c then you should have nothing to worry about. i just had one a few months back and it was painless and uneventful just like everyone here said it would be. And by the way the viral load flucuates on a daily basis so dont worry to much about the increase. It has NO bearing on how much liver damage you have. if you still do not want the biopsy for peace of mind then at least get a blood test called a fibrosure or better yet a fibroSCAN if you are near one of the limited centers where they are at. best of luck
My opinion ... and again my "opinion"...
Yes a biopsy is necessary in order to make an informed decision on how to deal with your HCV. Or at the very least do one of the new blood tests such as the Firbrosure although I think the biopsy is more accurate.
Mouse
Yes a biopsy is necessary in order to make an informed decision on how to deal with your HCV. Or at the very least do one of the new blood tests such as the Firbrosure although I think the biopsy is more accurate.
Mouse
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