Liver Biopsy

What is a liver biopsy?

A biopsy is a sample of tissue taken from the body for examination under a microscope.

Why do I need a liver biopsy?

A liver biopsy can show the present condition of the liver. It shows how much scarring has occurred in the liver since the infection started and also the amount of inflammation.

Will I need to come into hospital for a liver biopsy?

No. If you live within 30 – 40 minutes of the hospital it may be possible to do the biopsy as an out patient in the X-ray department (a day case ultrasound guided liver biopsy). You will need to stay in hospital for 6 hours after the biopsy. You will need someone to take you home. If you live further away you could consider an overnight stay at a bed and breakfast but there must be someone with you. Otherwise the biopsy is performed in hospital and you will need to stay in hospital overnight.

What does a liver biopsy involve?

The doctor will see you when you arrive, and a nurse will be looking after you when the biopsy is taken, and keeping an eye on you afterwards. They should both go through the procedure with you, and you can ask any questions you want about it.

The doctor will clean the skin on the right side of your body, around the lower ribs. You will then be given an injection of anaesthetic into the skin to numb the area; (this is the same drug that the dentist uses when numbing your mouth). The doctor will then put a needle into the numb area, and take a very small piece of the liver tissue out. This will be put in a special container and sent to the laboratory.

After the biopsy has been taken, the nurse will ask you to lie on your right-hand side for some time, while he or she checks your blood pressure regularly. This is to make sure that the liver is not bleeding inside. You will have to stay on your bed for 6 hours after the liver biopsy. If you have any pain after the biopsy, you should ask the nurse for pain killers. It can be very boring lying in bed for so long, so it is advisable to bring something you can do while waiting to get up.