WHAT IS A RENAL BIOPSY?
A renal or kidney biopsy involves taking one or more tiny pieces (samples) of your kidney to look at with special microscopes. The microscopes make it possible to see the samples in greater detail.
WHAT ARE THE REASONS FOR DOING A KIDNEY BIOPSY?
Specific reasons to do a kidney biopsy include:
- Blood in the urine (hematuria) or protein in the urine (proteinuria)
- Abnormal blood test results
- Acute or chronic kidney disease with no clear cause
- Nephrotic syndrome and glomerular disease (which happens when the filtering units of the kidney are damaged)
- Permanent damage in the kidney
- Status of a kidney transplant
- A kidney tumour
- If a certain treatment is hurting the kidneys
WHAT ARE THE POSSIBLE RISKS OF KIDNEY BIOPSY?
The risks of kidney biopsy are very small, but they should be discussed with your healthcare provider. As in other medical and surgical procedures, certain complications may happen even though every effort is taken to prevent them. A blood transfusion may be needed if serious bleeding occurs. Rarely, surgery may be needed to fix a blood vessel that is damaged during the procedure.
HOW IS THE BIOPSY DONE?
A kidney biopsy is usually done in a hospital. An overnight stay may be needed to watch for any problems. You may be awake with only light sedation, or asleep under general anaesthesia. You will be lying face down with a pillow under your rib cage. If the biopsy is done on a transplanted kidney, you will be lying on your back.
Some types of the biopsy are:
- Percutaneous Biopsy: An injection of dye into your veins may be needed to help the doctor find the kidney and important blood vessels. Once the biopsy site is found, your skin is marked, and cleaned where the biopsy needle will be inserted. You will receive a local anaesthetic to numb the area where the biopsy needle enters. You will be asked to take in a deep breath and hold it as the doctor puts in the needle. When the needle pushes through the skin to the kidney, you may feel a "pop" or pressure. It is important to stay still and to hold your breath (about 45 seconds or less). Sometimes two needle passes are needed to get enough of the kidney sample for diagnosis. When enough is taken, the needle is removed and a bandage is placed over the needle puncture site. The entire procedure, from start to finish, usually lasts about one hour.
- Open Kidney Biopsy: Some patients should not have a percutaneous biopsy because they may have a history of bleeding problems. For these patients, an open operation may be done where the surgeon can actually see the kidney to get a good sample to study.
WHAT ARE THE THINGS TO REMEMBER BEFORE AND AFTER THE BIPOSY?
Before the biopsy:
- Talk with your health care provider to make sure you understand the need for a biopsy and the risks and benefits
- Tell your doctor about any allergies you have and medicines you take
- Avoid blood thinning medications and supplements
- Avoid food and fluid for eight hours before the test
After the biopsy:
- Follow your doctor's instructions
- Rest in bed for 12 to 24 hours
- Avoid blood thinning medications
Report any problems, such as:
- Bloody urine for more than 24 hours after the biopsy
- Unable to pass urine
- Fever
- Worsening pain at the biopsy site
- Feeling faint or dizzy
WHY KIMS?
KIMS Renal Unit is focused on providing diagnostic excellence in medical renal disease for patient care. We work closely with nephrologists, rheumatologists, and other clinical physicians throughout KIMS, providing comprehensive diagnostic interpretation of medical renal biopsies utilizing state-of- the-art diagnostics.