KIDNEY BIOPSY

What it is and why it is prescribed?

The renal biopsy is the procedure with which it picks up a very small fragment of kidney which will then be observed under the microscope. It is the final examination to distinguish the various types of kidney diseases, in particular those affecting the glomerulus which typically occur with an increase in creatinine and the presence of proteins in the urine, explains the nephrologist in Delhi.

It is an invasive test that must be carried out in selected cases after a careful visit of nephrologist in Noida, in which the indication of the procedure will be evaluated based on the result of blood, urine and instrumental tests.

An early biopsy diagnosis is very important to treat kidney disease before it evolves towards a picture of chronic kidney failure, says the nephrologist in Gurgaon.

Kidney biopsy is prescribed for:

• diagnosing kidney disease that cannot be classified differently is the case of glomerulopathies;
• evaluate the degree of progression of an already diagnosed kidney disease;
• assess the cause of a malfunction of a kidney transplant;

How kidney biopsy is done?

Before the biopsy

• Before practicing the kidney biopsy, the kidney specialist in Delhi informs the patient on how the procedure is performed and, on any measures, to be taken before and during the examination;
• Before the biopsy, some blood and urine tests are performed in order to exclude the presence of ongoing infections and alterations of blood clotting;
• A few days before the examination it is advisable to suspend some drugs, mainly those that alter blood clotting, such as warfarin (Coumadin) or antiplatelet agents (aspirin, ticlopidine, etc). The nephrologist in Delhi will give information on the drugs to be taken or not;
• On the day of the exam, fasting for about 8 hours is often required;

During the biopsy

The native kidneys are located in the back of the abdomen. Therefore, kidney biopsy is usually performed by positioning the patient on his stomach so that the kidneys are as close to the back wall as possible. In the case of a biopsy of the transplanted kidney, the patient is on his stomach.

With an ultrasound of the kidney, the urologist in Noida identifies the point of the kidney where to take the sample and the path that the needle will follow. After a thorough cleaning of the skin, a light local anesthesia is practiced and a small cut is made at the entrance site. The patient will feel like a pinprick. With the help of ultrasound, the needle is introduced, without the patient feeling any pain. At this point the patient is invited to take a deep breath in order to bring the kidney closer to the needle. You will then hear the sound of a click; it is the sign that the sampling has taken place. The needle is then withdrawn and reinserted, usually, to take another sample.

After the biopsy

Blood pressure and heart rate are checked for a few hours while the patient is resting in bed with his stomach up. A pain may be felt at the needle entry point which is often checked with pain relievers. The hospital stay varies according to the clinical conditions and the opinion of your doctor for kidney in Delhi. At discharge the patient is advised not to practice efforts and behaviors to be performed.

Risks

Kidney biopsy is a safe procedure and is rarely associated with complications:

• blood loss in the urine (hematuria) may appear after a kidney biopsy and persist for a few days. It rarely becomes so important that it requires a transfusion or surgery to stop the bloody;
• Pain is frequent after a biopsy, but usually lasts a few hours;
• A further complication may be due to the creation by the needle of a communication between an artery and a vein. An arteriovenous fistula is thus determined. Usually the patient does not feel anything, and the diagnosis is made during a check-up ultrasound. This anomalous communication resolves itself;
• More rarely, bleeding around the kidney may occur. This usually stops on its own and disappears over time, when it is more conspicuous it may require surgery;

At discharge, notify your doctor in case of:

• Temperature
• Reddish urine more than a day after discharge
• Severe pain where the biopsy was done
• Difficulty urinating
• Weakness

Results

The collected kidney tissue is sent to the laboratory for analysis under a microscope.

This procedure requires a variable time depending on the investigations to be performed on the fabric itself.

The report describes how the kidney tissue is composed and the anomalous elements in favor of one of the kidney diseases.