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The Fastest Biopsy Ever?
by Magnum, Jul 18, 2008 03:36AM
Yesterday I had my third biopsy and I have to share this with you all. Before the biopsy however, I had the awful injection first that makes your face hot. That was for the 4-Phase Cat Scan for the abdominal results.
Then, right after that, and on the same table, in walks a young looking Chinese doctor. He was very with it with the lingo and sense of humor. I knew what I was in for when he said “this may sting a little”. I asked him if it was the preliminary Lydocane injection to numb the area where the harpoon will go in for the biopsy. He said yes.
Without exaggerating one bit, about 20-30 seconds went by when he said “you may feel something. Some people do, some people don’t”. As he was talking, I felt the familiar tug and then heard the “click”. “OK” he said “all done”. What said I? “Yup, all done” he said.
All this took place within a minute. I was speechless. I said “really?”. He said “yeah, I don’t wanna stay here all day, I wanna get out of here and go to lunch? Beyond belief.
At any rate, no complications. Some very tolerable pain. However, as it happens to some people, my right shoulder started to really hurt about five minutes later. I’m no baby and I can tolerate pain, but this WAS unbearable. The nurse in recovery said there are nerves that sometimes get hit with the harpoon, and they are connected to the nerves that run to the shoulder. I then received 100mg of Demerol and smiled before going to sleep for an hour. Happy ending... Oh, I will know the results next week. Anybody want the name and contact number fir this young Chinese doctor? Heheheheh....
Magnum
Then, right after that, and on the same table, in walks a young looking Chinese doctor. He was very with it with the lingo and sense of humor. I knew what I was in for when he said “this may sting a little”. I asked him if it was the preliminary Lydocane injection to numb the area where the harpoon will go in for the biopsy. He said yes.
Without exaggerating one bit, about 20-30 seconds went by when he said “you may feel something. Some people do, some people don’t”. As he was talking, I felt the familiar tug and then heard the “click”. “OK” he said “all done”. What said I? “Yup, all done” he said.
All this took place within a minute. I was speechless. I said “really?”. He said “yeah, I don’t wanna stay here all day, I wanna get out of here and go to lunch? Beyond belief.
At any rate, no complications. Some very tolerable pain. However, as it happens to some people, my right shoulder started to really hurt about five minutes later. I’m no baby and I can tolerate pain, but this WAS unbearable. The nurse in recovery said there are nerves that sometimes get hit with the harpoon, and they are connected to the nerves that run to the shoulder. I then received 100mg of Demerol and smiled before going to sleep for an hour. Happy ending... Oh, I will know the results next week. Anybody want the name and contact number fir this young Chinese doctor? Heheheheh....
Magnum
CONGRATS magnum:
Hope the results are favorable.
cat
Marcia
I describe it as a nail gun but I believe the correct term is "spring loaded core retrieval machine". I never had any pain anywhere from that type of biopsy. And you're right - it is fast. Mine are right below my sternum and not through the ribcage like the bedside biopsies I've had. Where did they take your sample? Mike
It seems that many are getting guided biopsies these days -- and frankly haven't done any research as to whether they're better or not. But that aside, my suggestion is to find the biopsy "go-to" doc in the largest teaching hospital in your area. He probably has done hundreds of biopsies. He's the one you want to get stuck by.
The two most important questions to ask your doc are: (1) who exactly is doing the biopsy -- actually doing it and not supervising it; and (2) how many liver biopsies has that person performed in the last year. If you don't like the answers -- including not getting an assurance that an intern/resident will not do the biopsy under the supervision of a liver specialist -- than look elsewhere.
-- Jim
MIke, you asked magnum where the sample was from and I am curious about that. You may recall, I have had a surgeon do my 2 biopsies and he does laproscopic. On this second one, we were all set up to go but the orders he got were for a needle biopsy. He had to call and square that away and ended up doing wedges like he always does, and core samples to appease the hepatologist. When the second pathologist (the pathologist for the Liver Institute in Dallas) wrote the report he said of the wedges that they were "difficult to evaluate because of the subcapsular nature of the specimen. Of the core biopsy slides he sad they "appear to be a hilar region in which there is appreciable fibrous tissue with large artery branches and nerves." I got the impression he didn't like the sample. What is your expertise. Where should the samples be taken from and what is wrong with the subcapsular sample?
Kathy
Hope your result is as easy to take as the procedure was. Good Luck
Brent
This spring loaded type was done right below my sternum while I was lying flat on my back. I like those better than the others. And it's a gun so it is really fast - spring loaded core retrieval as they call it. As to where you get the best sample tissue, I have no opinion on that. I assume a good representative sample can be obtained below the sternum because I go to a well established transplant center and they ought to know this stuff - I hope.
Mike
Mike