Biopsy -Is it neccessary?

[tuesdaynatasha]

I was recently diagnosed with low counts of Hep C. I am still waiting for the genotype.
Is it neccessary to have a liver biopsy? Has anyone passed and if so how did you decide to
go without?

[lalapple]

not necessary.  i bypassed it and went straight to tx cause i knew i had it so why not just go on and tx.  a big purpose of biopsy so to determine if you should start tx or not.  

[GreatBird]

If you decide to have a biopsy, I highly recommend having one that is sonogram guided performed by someone who does them ALL the time.

There are blood tests that can assess liver damage, but they can't pinpoint it as closely, rather they show a range and I have heard they aren't as accurate. Still, they are less invasive.

[Bill1954]

Although a biopsy isn’t a necessity for treatment, it can provide critical information for the doctor and patient regarding the amount of liver damage already sustained from the disease. The results can tell a patient whether or not treatment is even necessary; there are newer, more efficient drugs to treat HCV currently in clinical trial. With little liver damage, a patient might opt to wait until these are readily available. On the other hand, if significant damage (fibrosis) is present, it might be a good idea to treat sooner rather than later.

Additionally, some studies show that patients with little fibrosis tend to respond more readily to treatment; and patients with significant damage might be more inclined to continue their course of treatment, even if the side effects become extremely challenging.

Some doctors do not require patients to undergo biopsy; especially those with genotype 2 and three; these genotypes have a much higher response rate to treatment.

A biopsy is a relatively painless procedure, and is considered a low-risk procedure; the patient often undergoes ‘twilight sedation’; similar to colonoscopy. The discomfort is minimal, and it is performed on an outpatient basis; allow about 5-6 hours for the whole procedure. The biopsy sample itself only takes a moment, but the patient is generally held for observation for several hours afterwards to monitor for any potential complications.

Good luck and take care—

Bill