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Margaret Eleanor · 11-16-2011, 05:24 PM

I had an ultrasound guided liver biopsy in June of 2010. Even though I was given a local, and a lovely sedative drip, I had to be conscious enough to follow directions...specifically to hold my breath. I usually need about 3 times the normal dose of local to actually numb me, but was told by the radiologist doing the biopsy I could only have the normal dose. I also have a pretty high pain tolerance. I'm not gonna lie to you, it flippin' hurt. Radiologist took 4 samples instead of 2 or 3. Actual biopsy procedure from IV run to end was about an hour. It hurt. Afterwards I was observed for about two hours to make sure there was no bleeding. I ended up in the ER via ambulance a few hours later because I passed out on the way to my first echocardiogram. First time in an ambulance and first time ever in the ER for me. Be careful when you hold your breath to RELAX your abdominal muscles. Doctors and nurses may or may not remind you to relax your muscles. I had an awful stitch in my right side for the next couple of weeks even though biopsy was on the upper left lobe of my liver. If I remember right, I got results in a couple of days, but HER2 test was going to take longer. My liver biopsy came back normal tissue, but I was treated metastatic for 2+ 4-week cycles of chemotherapy until a repeat PET scan showed no change in the lesion and an MRI with 4 of 4 radiologists agreeing it was an atypical adenoma; no cancer!

11-16-2011, 05:24 PM	#4
Margaret Eleanor Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 18	Re: Liver biopsy scheduled I had an ultrasound guided liver biopsy in June of 2010. Even though I was given a local, and a lovely sedative drip, I had to be conscious enough to follow directions...specifically to hold my breath. I usually need about 3 times the normal dose of local to actually numb me, but was told by the radiologist doing the biopsy I could only have the normal dose. I also have a pretty high pain tolerance. I'm not gonna lie to you, it flippin' hurt. Radiologist took 4 samples instead of 2 or 3. Actual biopsy procedure from IV run to end was about an hour. It hurt. Afterwards I was observed for about two hours to make sure there was no bleeding. I ended up in the ER via ambulance a few hours later because I passed out on the way to my first echocardiogram. First time in an ambulance and first time ever in the ER for me. Be careful when you hold your breath to RELAX your abdominal muscles. Doctors and nurses may or may not remind you to relax your muscles. I had an awful stitch in my right side for the next couple of weeks even though biopsy was on the upper left lobe of my liver. If I remember right, I got results in a couple of days, but HER2 test was going to take longer. My liver biopsy came back normal tissue, but I was treated metastatic for 2+ 4-week cycles of chemotherapy until a repeat PET scan showed no change in the lesion and an MRI with 4 of 4 radiologists agreeing it was an atypical adenoma; no cancer!