Liver Tumor: When to Biopsy?

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The liver is an important organ in the human body, more and more dangerous diseases in the liver are detected and the treatment process is difficult due to the late detection of the disease. Currently, liver biopsy is an effective method to help diagnose and identify the disease condition early and accurately.

1. What is a liver biopsy?

Currently, liver biopsy is the most accurate method to help doctors assess the patient's liver disease and provide an appropriate treatment plan. To perform a liver biopsy method, the doctor will use a special tool to inject into the liver and take out a few liver cells from the patient, take it to look under the microscope and determine the cause of the liver failure. sick.
In case the patient's liver has a tumor, before conducting a liver biopsy, it is necessary to determine whether it is a benign tumor or a malignant tumor. Liver biopsy is a special test that can help diagnose liver disease accurately that other common tests such as blood tests cannot be conclusive.
Patients who want to have a liver biopsy need to go to the hospital to ensure the safety and accuracy of the results, after taking a cell sample, the patient will stay in the hospital for monitoring for about 3 - 6 hours and return home if there is no accident.

2. When do liver tumors need a biopsy?

Liver biopsy is a test that can be done for many different purposes, but mainly for screening, diagnosing and monitoring liver diseases, especially for patients with liver cancer.
For patients with liver tumors, it is necessary to have a biopsy of the liver tumor in case, the liver test results are normal, but the tumor is found in the liver or the patient has persistent fever. clear cause, weight loss, images of large liver lesions and strong enhancement.

3. Is the liver biopsy test dangerous?

To perform a liver biopsy, doctors only remove a very small liver cell from the patient's body, so it will not affect or harm the liver or the patient's health. In some cases, a biopsy of the liver can cause bleeding from the point where the needle was inserted into the liver (very low risk > 1%).
Liver biopsy is not dangerous, to ensure safety, before conducting a liver biopsy, the doctor will ask the patient to conduct tests on the ability to clot and stop bleeding. In case the patient is taking certain anticoagulant drugs, it is necessary to inform the doctor because the risk of bleeding due to these drugs will be very high.

4. Liver biopsy test procedure

The doctor will discuss with the patient to choose the best method to conduct a liver biopsy in 2 methods including:
Using a special needle to remove a small piece of liver from the patient's body through the skin in the right position. right thorax abdomen. Your doctor will take a liver biopsy sample through your neck vein or insert a biopsy needle from another part of your abdomen to your liver.

4.1 Preparation before conducting a liver biopsy

Patients should not eat or drink colored things for 6 hours before the procedure. Do not drink water for 3 hours before the liver biopsy. Inform the doctor about the history of drug allergies and medical history (if any). One week before the liver biopsy should stop taking some drugs including: Aspirin, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as: Fendel, Voltaren, ibuprofen... At the same time, stop taking herbs and other functional foods. On the day of the liver biopsy procedure, go to the hospital 1 hour before and have a loved one come with you, bring any medications you are taking.

4.2 Carrying out a liver biopsy

Method 1: Use a biopsy needle to take a small piece of liver parenchyma through the skin of the right chest and abdomen The doctor will disinfect the skin to perform the biopsy, the patient needs to lie on his back or on his left side. The doctor will inject anesthetic into the site where the needle was inserted into the biopsy, then push a special hollow needle through the skin into the liver. Because the patient is anesthetized, the patient does not feel pain but can still feel the force of pushing the needle in. Because the liver moves up and down when inhaling - exhaling, when performing needle insertion and withdrawal, the patient needs to hold their breath for about 5-10 seconds. The drawn needle contains a small liver sample.
Method 2: Biopsy of the liver through a vein in the neck or another location This liver biopsy method is applicable to patients with liver tumors that cannot synthesize coagulation substances. The doctor will use a tube to put through a vein in the neck or groin and push gently through the blood vessel to the liver. The tip of the tube has a fine needle attached to it to penetrate a blood vessel into the patient's liver tissue and take a liver sample. A small liver sample will be taken out of the body through a tube. With this approach, it will help reduce the possibility of bleeding if the patient has hemophilia.

4.3 After a liver biopsy procedure

After liver biopsy, the patient will have blood pressure, pulse, blood oxygen saturation and check the biopsy site for bleeding. If the condition is stable, the patient will be able to drink fluids, and in some cases, not eat or drink for 2 hours after the biopsy. Patients need to rest for about 6-8 hours after liver biopsy and perform hygiene and eating activities at bed. Patients should not take aspirin or any anti-inflammatory pain relievers for 1 week after the liver biopsy. Do not drink alcohol along with medications containing acetaminophen after a liver biopsy. In case the patient has returned home and has the following abnormal signs, it is necessary to notify the doctor immediately for timely treatment:
Pain in the middle abdomen above the navel, chest or shoulder High fever with chills Fatigue Fatigue, dizziness, headache Heavy bleeding at biopsy site Short, shallow, irregular breathing rate Vomiting, bloody stools Liver biopsy is a relatively safe procedure, however in some cases In some cases, complications may also appear, patients need to carefully monitor their health and return to the hospital immediately if there are abnormalities.
Currently, Vinmec International General Hospital is one of the medical facilities with a team of leading medical experts in the field of Liver - Gallbladder - Pancreas, the most modern machinery in the region. These will be good conditions to make the examination, screening tests or biopsy to diagnose liver cancer quick, convenient, and time-saving so that appropriate and timely treatment measures can be taken. time.
Customers can directly go to Vinmec Health system nationwide to visit or contact the hotline HERE for support.
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