Liver Biopsy

[Guest guest]

--- kalidurga@... wrote:

> To the person inquiring about liver biopsys. I

> have had two. Back in

> 1991 and 1992.They are not as bad as they

> sound. I was not sedated.

I had a biopsy in October, 1999. I didn't hear

any experiences ahead of time. And actually, I

only felt the prick when numbed the area but then

it was over before I even knew about it. I am

amazed when I hear stories from others about

pain. I hope if have another that goes the same

way!!!

> My

> outside skin was knumbed and that hurt a bit,

> than the area on my liver

> to be biopsied was knumbed. That felt like

> nothing I had ever felt

> before. It did hurt, but it was over quickly.

> It felt like a cold rush

> tomy insides.

> After that was done, the doctor had me lie flat

> on my back and reach my

> right arm over my head to my left side, and

> stretch my body to the left

> while staying on my back. You have to really

> stretch. Within a few

> minutes the procedure was done. Tha actually

> biopsy was like 1-2-3, pow,

> the doctors goes n and ut and gets a little

> piece of liver. I is

> actually more scary than anything else. After

> that I was taken to day

> care where one time I was given an IV, and both

> times I had my vital

> signs taken. With my usual low blood pressure

> they were concerned. They

> basically want to make sure there is no

> internal bleeding. The first

> biopsy, I stayed four hours in, the second time

> it was more like two.

> Both times I had to make sure someone could

> pick me up. The most pain I

> had after was a feeling of a bruised side. Like

> someone had kicked me in

> my liver hard, but I could do most daily

> activiies and work. I was told

> not to lift anyhting heavy or do alot of

> physical activity for atleast

> four days.

> I didnt take any pain medication after, I

> really didnt need it.

> So its not as bad as it seems, just scary.

> Corey

>

>

=====

My message to you: Don't worry, be happy!!

Love to hear from YOU!

Dawn

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Thanks Dr. Misra for the info. Knowing what is instore before the liver

biopsy makes it more or less frightening. Waiting is the hard part. On a

flier I picked up at the Dr. office yesterday while having my kids receive

the now required Hep B vaccine, I read it is advised that Hep C positive

people get A and B vaccinated. I suppose I should do this. B is a series

of three shots. If I begin treatment in the meantime would it make a

difference? Waiting and wondering what to do........Don't worry ......Be

Happy....I have never felt better.........Hate to be sick Thanks again

everyone.......Dee

>From: " Doc " <gidoc@...>

>Reply-Hepatitis Conelist

> " GIHepatitis " <Hepatitis Conelist>

>Subject: Liver Biopsy

>Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 23:45:44 +0530

>

>LIVER BIOPSY

>

> What is a Liver Biopsy?

> Who needs a liver biopsy?

> How is a Liver Biopsy done?

> What are the risks associated with a Liver Biopsy?

> What happens after a Liver Biopsy?

>

> WHAT IS A LIVER BIOPSY?

>

>A liver biopsy is a procedure by which a thin core of liver tissue is

>obtained for analysis under a microscope. It is probably the oldest of

>all

>the procedures done by your gastroenterologist. It is said to have been

>first performed by Erlich in 1883. The basic technique has been

>refined

>since then. These refinements have decreased the risk to a degree that a

>liver biopsy is commonly done on an outpatient basis.

>

> WHO NEEDS A LIVER BIOPSY?

>

>Since liver biopsy is considered the " gold standard " its indications are

>many and varied. The clinician uses the information obtained to guide

>his

>treatment or assess the extent and severity of liver damage. Some of the

>more common indications are:

>

>a.Chronic viral hepatitis like Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C.

>b.Unexplained liver enlargement and liver tests.

>c.Alcohol induced liver disease.

>d.Drug induced liver damage.

>e.Space occupying liver lesions like tumors and cancers.

>f.Systemic diseases and infections affecting the liver.

>g.After liver transplantation for rejection and other complications.

>h.Assessment of response to treatment.

>i.Storage diseases of the liver.

>

> HOW IS A LIVER BIOPSY DONE?

>

>Most liver biopsies are done on an outpatient basis i.e. the patient

>stays

>in the hospital for half a day. The doctor orders tests to check

>bleeding

>and clotting times. Patient's blood group is known and blood available

>if

>needed. All recent medications are reviewed. Aspirin and aspirin like

>medications should have been stopped. Under full aseptic precautions the

>right side of the chest is cleaned and numbed using local anesthesia.

>Breathing techniques are practiced with the patient. Using a long fine

>needle a core of liver tissue is obtained. The actual process takes only

>1-2

>seconds. This process is repeated and another specimen obtained. A

>dressing

>is applied and the patient lies on his/her right side for about 2 hours

>and

>on the back for another 2 hours. After about 4-6 hours a blood sample is

>drawn. If this sample is similar to the one drawn before the biopsy, no

>bleeding has occurred and the patient is discharged home. The patient

>spends

>the rest of the day resting at home. He/She should not be alone and

>should

>have easy access to a phone and a hospital.

>

>Sometimes a liver biopsy is done by a Radiologist using an ultrasound or

>CT

>scan to guide the needle(US or CT guided liver biopsy). In patients with

>a

>bleeding disorder it can be done by a catheter inserted into a neck vein

>and

>advanced into the liver (transjugular liver biopsy). Rarely it has to be

>done via a tube inserted into the abdomen (laparoscopic liver biopsy).

>Your

>Borland-Groover Clinic physician will be able to decide which technique

>is

>best for you.

>

> WHAT ARE THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH A LIVER BIOPSY?

>

>A liver biopsy is by and large a safe procedure. The risk of dying is

>about

>1 in 10,000 procedures. The various reported complications are.

>

>a.Bleeding: This is an uncommon but serious complication. It is

>usually controlled by observation and blood

>transfusion, but may require surgery to stop it.

>b.Injury to the Gallbladder.

>c.Bleeding into the bile ducts.

>d.Injury to the kidney and colon.

>e.A connection between a vein and an artery called a fistula.

>f.Irritation of the covering of the lung or liver (Pleurisy or

>perihepatitis).

>

> WHAT HAPPENS AFTER A LIVER BIOPSY?

>

>The day after a liver biopsy the patient can resume his normal

>lifestyle.

>Over the next week the liver specimen undergoes extensive evaluation

>under a

>microscope by a pathologist skilled in liver diseases. Special stains

>(dyes)

>are used to highlight various aspects of the liver. This result is made

>available to your gastroenterologist who uses this information for

>diagnosis, treatment decisions and to assess the prognosis.

>

>(Thanks to Sheree)

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hep A and B vaccination should be taken while you wait. This protects

you against co-infection.

[Guest guest]

Hep A and B vaccination should be taken while you wait. This protects

you against co-infection.

[Guest guest]

Unsubscribe please.

pegland@...

>

[Guest guest]

Unsubscribe please.

pegland@...

>

[Guest guest]

Please take me off this list- it is generating too much mail for me...

Thank You

Doc wrote:

> From: " Doc " <gidoc@...>

>

> Hep A and B vaccination should be taken while you wait. This protects

> you against co-infection.

>

[Guest guest]

Please take me off this list- it is generating too much mail for me...

Thank You

Doc wrote:

> From: " Doc " <gidoc@...>

>

> Hep A and B vaccination should be taken while you wait. This protects

> you against co-infection.

>

[Guest guest]

Hi , I have not welcomed you yet. (sorry) My biopsy results took about

a week, I believe. The side effects from the combo treatment started at about

4 mos. At least the ones that I could not stand

Everyone is different though and you may have none. I know the best thing is

to stay here, keep a journal and by all means keep a positive attitude. I'm

sure you've heard about the vitamins, minerals and herbs that you should be

taking. Also drink lots of water. Most of all DON'T GIVE UP, we are all here

for you. I'll be saying a prayer for you. Janet

[Guest guest]

: It took about a week for my husband to get the results from his

biopsy. The procedure itself for him was painless. The worst part for him

was lying still with the sand bag on the puncture area for hours. Good luck.

Tree

[Guest guest]

<< Pat just found out that it appears that the HepC is

attacking his new liver. He has to have a liver

biopsy next Tuesday and then see his liver specialist

in May. They want him to go back on the combo

treatment. He does not want to go back on it!!

>>

Hi, Jeanie. I knew a transplant was not a cure--the virus is still in the

body. It just has a new liver to work on. That was fast though! You would

think it would take another 20 or 30 years for it to take its toll on the new

liver. Tree

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

My name is Jeanie, my hubby, Pat, had his long awaited

transplant just before Christmas. He has gone through

the threatment and was a non-responder. The side

effects started for him right away, within a day or

two. He felt lousy, like he had the flu, and they

just progressed from there. He was pretty sick from

the treatment.

Pat just found out that it appears that the HepC is

attacking his new liver. He has to have a liver

biopsy next Tuesday and then see his liver specialist

in May. They want him to go back on the combo

treatment. He does not want to go back on it!!

My prayers and best wishes to you!

Jeanie

--- harvestfoundation@... wrote:

> I am fixing to have a liver biopsy on April 12th.

> Does anyone know

> about how long it takes to get results back? Also,

> I am fixing to

> start the combo treatment, how long does it take for

> the side effects

> to start...do they start that night,,what can I

> expect first??? Please

> reply. Thanks,

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

--- TreeSkinnr@... wrote:

> << Pat just found out that it appears that the HepC

> is

> attacking his new liver. He has to have a liver

> biopsy next Tuesday and then see his liver

> specialist

> in May. They want him to go back on the combo

> treatment. He does not want to go back on it!!

> >>

>

> Hi, Jeanie. I knew a transplant was not a cure--the

> virus is still in the

> body. It just has a new liver to work on. That was

> fast though! You would

> think it would take another 20 or 30 years for it to

> take its toll on the new

> liver. Tree

>

Tree, It probably will take that long before his new

liver gets as bad as the old one was. Afterall, it

took over 30 years for the old one to get as bad as it

was. We just hoped that it would take a little longer

than three months for the virus to begin to attack the

new liver. I guess we'll just have to wait for the

biopsy results to see just how bad it really is.

Jeanie

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Sara,

It is great that you have become undetectable after treatment.

You need to have your AST/ALT, alphafetoprotein and USG of liver done every 6

months and PCR once a

year.

Liver biopsy will confirm the recession or reversal of disease, if there has

been any. However, till

you are undetectable you can assume that no further damage is being done. So I

will wait to detect

any changes in your present status before doing a biopsy again.

[Guest guest]

Huh. That seems *really* strange to me... because

I just know that in my friend's case, that [a liver

biopsy] was the *first* thing they did... like, " we have

to do a biopsy, before we even know what it is that

we're dealing with (and, therefore, how to go about

treatment) " . I'm no doctor, I don't know, but I'd call the

Liver Foundation or somebody like that, just for

another opinion [and by that I mean an independent

opinion by someone other than your current doctor]. Just

a thought...

[Guest guest]

Huh. That seems *really* strange to me... because

I just know that in my friend's case, that [a liver

biopsy] was the *first* thing they did... like, " we have

to do a biopsy, before we even know what it is that

we're dealing with (and, therefore, how to go about

treatment) " . I'm no doctor, I don't know, but I'd call the

Liver Foundation or somebody like that, just for

another opinion [and by that I mean an independent

opinion by someone other than your current doctor]. Just

a thought...

[Guest guest]

i very rarely post but i really felt the need to

here. my doctor didn't do a biopsy either, and after i

went through 6 months of combo, and started learning

more about it, i asked him why, he told me that if the

biopsy had been bad, insurance would not have paid for

the tx. after a year of being off combo i am still

undected, my alt is in the normal range and has been from

the beginning so i still see no need for the biopsy

nor does my dr. if my alt and liver enzymes were out

of wack i would probably request one. that's just my

opinion, i'm sure there are those who would

disagree.<br>thanks for letting me share.<br>debi

[Guest guest]

i very rarely post but i really felt the need to

here. my doctor didn't do a biopsy either, and after i

went through 6 months of combo, and started learning

more about it, i asked him why, he told me that if the

biopsy had been bad, insurance would not have paid for

the tx. after a year of being off combo i am still

undected, my alt is in the normal range and has been from

the beginning so i still see no need for the biopsy

nor does my dr. if my alt and liver enzymes were out

of wack i would probably request one. that's just my

opinion, i'm sure there are those who would

disagree.<br>thanks for letting me share.<br>debi

[Guest guest]

Mmmmm...... interesting one this!! I've had this

virus for almost 30 years now and at all times, my

liver enzymes have always been in the normal range. But

my last liver biopsy showed severed inflammation

(Knodell Grade 5). Now, inflammation alone can cause

severe health problems, in spite of normal alt's and

ast's. It is now thought that I have a thyroid problem

and I am now awaiting the results of the blood test I

had two weeks ago.<br><br>Admittedly, living in the

UK, I don't have to worry about things like medical

insurance, but what I am trying to say is, liver enzymes are

a very poor indicator when it comes to how the

liver is actually functioning and you should not be

misled into believing that everything is fine purely as

a result of 'normal' results. Much will also depend

on the genotype - mine is 3a.<br><br>Just remember

that this is YOUR disease and YOUR body and no two

people will respond to the virus in the same way. My

advice is to read as much info as you can and them make

your own informed decisions about your future

treatments and welfare.<br><br>Blessings to you all!

[Guest guest]

Mmmmm...... interesting one this!! I've had this

virus for almost 30 years now and at all times, my

liver enzymes have always been in the normal range. But

my last liver biopsy showed severed inflammation

(Knodell Grade 5). Now, inflammation alone can cause

severe health problems, in spite of normal alt's and

ast's. It is now thought that I have a thyroid problem

and I am now awaiting the results of the blood test I

had two weeks ago.<br><br>Admittedly, living in the

UK, I don't have to worry about things like medical

insurance, but what I am trying to say is, liver enzymes are

a very poor indicator when it comes to how the

liver is actually functioning and you should not be

misled into believing that everything is fine purely as

a result of 'normal' results. Much will also depend

on the genotype - mine is 3a.<br><br>Just remember

that this is YOUR disease and YOUR body and no two

people will respond to the virus in the same way. My

advice is to read as much info as you can and them make

your own informed decisions about your future

treatments and welfare.<br><br>Blessings to you all!

[Guest guest]

In most cases, a biopsy is quite easily done and

lets you know the condition of your liver. But if you

were like my son and wanting to do treatment no matter

what condition your liver was in, then you didn't need

a biopsy to do treatment. Now I'll just be wishing

you the best as you do treatment and hope you have

wonderful results!

[Guest guest]

In most cases, a biopsy is quite easily done and

lets you know the condition of your liver. But if you

were like my son and wanting to do treatment no matter

what condition your liver was in, then you didn't need

a biopsy to do treatment. Now I'll just be wishing

you the best as you do treatment and hope you have

wonderful results!

[Guest guest]

Hi;<br><br>Even if the biopsy isn't important at

this time, your doctor should explain this and

everything that you have any questions about. He's probably

has know bed side manner. Personally I couldnt see a

doctor that is like that. IMO

[Guest guest]

Hi;<br><br>Even if the biopsy isn't important at

this time, your doctor should explain this and

everything that you have any questions about. He's probably

has know bed side manner. Personally I couldnt see a

doctor that is like that. IMO

[Guest guest]

Can anyone tell me how they do a liver biopsy? I'm at the beginning of

testing, so I don't know if I'll need one, but I'm curious. Do they cut

you or use a needle? Is it a major deal (of course it is in many

respects) or do they use a local anesthetic?

Marsha