What to Expect at the Hospital

by Darlene Morrow, BSc

Before: Overnight fast. This is important to follow as if there are any complications you may need emergency surgery. This is extremely unlikely but you need to be prepared.

Get batteries for your walkman and bring it along. You're going to spend a lot of time waiting and having some soothing music with help keep your mind busy.

You can have someone accompany you. You could have to wait 4 hours or more after the biopsy and someone can hold your hand while you wait.

At the Hospital:

1. Admission
2. Change into your hospital gown. You can keep your socks on if you get cold feet.

The Biopsy:

1. Most doctors use an ultrasound to get a good picture of the liver and its position. Other techniques can be used including the CT scan but the most common is the ultrasound. The ultrasound will also show the portal vein and give a good basic picture of the liver.
2. An injection is given to freeze the area.
3. A spring-loaded needle is inserted into the liver as guided by the ultrasound. Once the needle is in position the spring is released and a liver tissue sample is extracted. This occurs in seconds and the needle is withdrawn immediately. This is the point where you may feel some pain. Many people feel nothing. Some doctors will take a second sample from a different area to get a really good picture of what's happening with your liver.
4. The area is covered with a bandage and you are wheeled out to a waiting area. This could be the hallway so be prepared.
5. You must wait to make sure there is no bleeding. You will be checked at regular intervals by a nurse. If there is bleeding you will feel pain. Tell someone about it immediately. Apparently you will feel pain upon the re-absorption of the blood. Expect to feel right shoulder pain. This is referred pain from the liver. Also expect some lower right quadrant pain which can be referred pain. The time you wait will vary, depending on if you feel any pain or not.
6. Pain medication: Some doctors will offer something for the pain. You can also request it. I did not want anything for the pain because it signals the bleeding and I didn't want to miss that.
7. If you have had pain but it went away and you are still concerned about going home- ask the doctor to do a repeat ultrasound. This will show if there is any bleeding.

At home: Rest and take it easy. People experience different things after a liver biopsy. The area can feel bruised for up to 3 weeks without causing any significant pain.