Biopsy

A biopsy is a medical test to remove body tissue and look at it under a microscope. Samples can be from almost any part of the body, including skin and organs. 

A specialized doctor called a pathologist will examine the tissue in a laboratory. They will look at things like cell size, shape and activity. This will help:

• Find out if you have any abnormal cells
• Diagnose an illness
• Learn more about an illness 
• Decide on the best treatment
• Check if your treatment plan is working

People get biopsies for many reasons. Examples include:

• Checking if a lump is cancerous. 
• Finding the cause of swelling (inflammation) in organs.
• Identifying infections in places like the lymph node.
• Diagnosing a skin problem.

There are different ways to get a biopsy, depending on the type of tissue.  Your health care provider might use tools like an X-ray, CT scan, MRI scan, or ultrasound to guide the biopsy.

Our team will tell you what to do to get ready for your appointment. Most of the time, you will have a biopsy in one of our clinics and will not need to stay overnight at the hospital.

Depending on the procedure, you might need to:

• Tell your doctor what medicines or supplements you are taking.
• Stop taking some medicines, like blood thinners, a few days before the biopsy.
• Avoid eating or drinking for several hours before the procedure.
• Tell your doctor if you are allergic to any medicines.
• Arrange for someone to drive you home after the biopsy if you will get sedation or anesthesia.

You should bring the following to your appointment:

• Your BC Services Card or Care Card
• Government-issued photo ID
• A family member or friend to comfort you or help with translation if English is not your first language

Please arrive at least 30 minutes early. You should give yourself time to find parking. If you are late, we may reschedule your appointment to another day.

Once you check in, we will help you get ready for the biopsy: 

• We might ask you to change into a hospital gown. 
• We will explain the biopsy procedure and answer your questions.
• You will read and sign a consent form for the procedure.
• Sometimes, you will have an X-ray, CT scan, MRI scan, or ultrasound to guide the biopsy.

For most biopsies, you only need numbing medicine (local anesthetic). For some biopsies, you might get sedation or general anesthetic to put you to sleep.

The procedure for your biopsy will depend on where the tissue sample is taken. Here is what you might expect:

• You may receive local anesthetic. If so, you will feel a needle prick and a brief stinging sensation when we inject the medicine.
• We will use a biopsy needle or other tool to take the sample. You might feel some pressure or pulling.
• If we need a larger sample, we will make a small cut (incision) before taking the tissue sample.
• We will give you stitches or close the opening in your skin with adhesive strips, if needed.

We will send your tissue sample to the laboratory for testing.

After the biopsy, you usually will not feel pain. If we took tissue from an organ like your liver or bone marrow, you might feel a dull ache. Your doctor can tell you which medicine to take for this.

If you received sedation or general anesthesia, you will rest in a recovery room until the medicine wears off. You can leave after this, but you will need someone to drive you home.

If you had an excision biopsy and we made a cut to take a tissue sample, you might need stitches to close the wound. We will cover the wound with a dressing. 

Most biopsies are painless once the numbing medicine starts to work. If you had tissue removed from an internal organ, you will need to rest in the hospital for a few hours afterwards. This is to make sure there is no internal bleeding, which is rare.

Women who have a sample taken from their reproductive system, like their cervix, might have light, temporary bleeding. Pain medicine can help with any cramping.

Your doctor will give you instructions for caring for the biopsy site. Follow these instructions carefully. 

Depending on the type of biopsy, you may need to rest for a few hours or take it easy for a day or two.

Watch for signs of infection. These include redness, swelling, or fever. Contact your doctor if you notice any problems.

The Indigenous Wellness Liaison Team is here to support your health journey. Team members offer cultural support and healthcare advocacy. Learn more below or call them at 604-682-2344,62937 or email IWL@providencehealth.bc.ca.