Can a liver be biopsied and treated on the same day?!
Question: After a routine ua shows protein in the urine, my daughter has has been tested and tested and tested by her nephrologist who finally deemed her kidneys healthy, but the ultrasound of the kidneys showed a mass in her liver, now she is seeing a GI doc and has been tested and tested and tested for her liver. The latest test was a nuclear liver scan that stated "hemangioma unlikely" "probable adenoma". So next week she gets a liver biopsy and if it is an adenoma, I am told the treatment is done with a needle injecting something. Well if the biopsy is with a needle and the treatment is with a needle (assuming the adenoma is confirmed) then can it be done on the same day?
Answers: After a routine ua shows protein in the urine, my daughter has has been tested and tested and tested by her nephrologist who finally deemed her kidneys healthy, but the ultrasound of the kidneys showed a mass in her liver, now she is seeing a GI doc and has been tested and tested and tested for her liver. The latest test was a nuclear liver scan that stated "hemangioma unlikely" "probable adenoma". So next week she gets a liver biopsy and if it is an adenoma, I am told the treatment is done with a needle injecting something. Well if the biopsy is with a needle and the treatment is with a needle (assuming the adenoma is confirmed) then can it be done on the same day?
Probably not, unfortunately medical science is a hurry up and wait kinda thing. They will not process the test immediately as it is sent to the hospital lab, then read by a Dr. and then results sent to your Dr. She probably will have to return to her Dr. within 7 - 10 days after the procedure to learn the results. Generally speaking, I hope she does okay I know how frustrating this is.... GOOD LUCK!
If it is an adenoma, it would not necessarily require therapy, as an adenoma (as opposed to an adenocarcinoma) is not cancerous.
In any case, there will not be any therapy delivered that day of the biopsy. Once biopsied, it is common for a pathologist to do a frozen section, basically take a quick look under the microscope to make sure adequate tissue and hopefully the target tissue was retrieved. They frequently can say, "Yep, looks like cancer" or "Nope, looks benign" but this is a preliminary look and does not replace the formal pathological review to follow. The final diagnosis frequently can change between the two, so your daughter will have to wait till that is back. Depending on how sophisticated the testing required, could take anywhere from 48 hrs to one week.
God bless, best wishes
No. It takes time to prepare biopsy for the lab. The slides will have to be made from the biopsied tissue and then they will be looked at under a microscope to determine the actual diagnosis. This takes more than one day.