Kidney Biopsy - What You Need To Know?

A kidney biopsy is a procedure where the doctor extracts a piece of kidney tissue and examines it to look for signs of damage and disease.

Why is a kidney biopsy done?

Usually, doctors prescribe kidney biopsy if they suspect you have a kidney problem, to determine how severe your kidney disease is or to monitor kidney treatment.  A few other reasons why a kidney biopsy is done are –

• If you have blood in the urine
• Excessive protein discharge in the urine
• If waste products start accumulating in the blood due to impaired kidney function

How do you prepare for a kidney biopsy?

Before you undergo the procedure, you will be asked to provide a urine and a blood sample to rule out the presence of infections. You also have to stop drinking and eating eight hours prior to the surgery.

Moreover, you need to tell the doctor if you are taking medications. The doctor may ask you to stop taking medications like ibuprofen and blood-thinning medications as they can increase the risk of blood loss during the procedure.

During the procedure

First, the doctor identifies the area where the needle will be inserted. This is done with an ultrasound or a CT scan. Once the area is identified, a local anaesthetic is applied.

After this, a small incision is made and the needle is inserted in the body and guided towards the kidney. The doctor will ask you to hold your breath while the sample is collected using a spring instrument.

If the tissue collected is inadequate in the first attempt, the doctor may insert the needle multiple times to collect sufficient tissue. Once sufficient tissue is collected, the needle is removed and a bandage is applied to the area.

Post-procedure

Once the procedure is complete, you will be taken to the recovery room where your essentials (blood pressure and heartbeat) will be monitored.

You may experience pain at the incision site for which you will be given medications. Usually, you will be allowed to leave on the same day as the surgery.

Consult a doctor if the pain aggravates, you have a fever or you notice blood in urine 24 hours after the procedure.

Once you have the results from your biopsy, you may need to visit the doctor for a follow-up.