Complications of Liver Biopsy: Benefits and Risks

A liver biopsy is a procedure that involves taking away a tiny portion of liver tissue and investigating it under a microscope for indications of damage or disease. If blood tests or scans indicate that you may have a liver problem, your doctor might suggest a liver biopsy. A liver biopsy is also used to figure out the stage of someone's liver disease. This information supports in making treatment decisions.

Risks of Liver Biopsy

When carried out by a skilled healthcare provider, a liver biopsy is a safe procedure. Possible potential risks include:

• Pain: The most frequent complication following a liver biopsy is pain at the biopsy site. Pain from a liver biopsy is usually only mildly unpleasant.
• Bleeding: Although bleeding may occur after a liver biopsy, it is a rare complication. If you are bleeding excessively, you may need to be in the hospital for a transfusion of blood or an operation to cease the profuse bleeding.
• Infection: Bacteria can get into the abdominal cavity or the bloodstream on rare occasions.
• Unintentional injury to a close by organ: During a liver biopsy, the needle may accidentally puncture a different internal organ, like the gallbladder or a lung.

A narrow tube is introduced through a large vein in the neck & passed through to the vein that runs through the liver during a transjugular procedure. Other uncommon risks of a transjugular liver biopsy include:

• The accumulation of blood in the neck: Blood may pool around the catheter insertion site, which could cause pain and swelling. A hematoma is an accumulation of blood.
• Facial nerve problems that are only temporary: Rarely, the transjugular procedure can cause nerve damage and affect the face and eyes, resulting in short-term problems such as drooping eyelids.
• Temporary vocal difficulties: You may become hoarse, have a weakened voice, or temporarily lose your voice.
• Lung Puncture: A lung puncture has occurred. If the needle accidentally punctures your lung, it may result in a collapsed lung, known as pneumothorax.

Benefits of Liver Biopsy

A liver biopsy may assist to detect a liver problem that cannot be identified by a doctor's exam, blood tests, or imaging studies.

• Useful for obtaining a tissue sample from an irregularity discovered by an imaging study.
• Staging is a process used to assess the level of severity of liver disease.
• Assist in the development of treatment plans depending on the condition of the liver.
• Determining how well liver disease treatment is working.
• Following a liver transplant, the liver is monitored.
• Whenever there are inconsistent liver test results which cannot be explained, this aids in the correct diagnosis.
• Diagnosis of a tumor or other abnormalities on the liver as revealed by imaging tests.

A liver biopsy is also commonly used to help diagnose and stage certain liver diseases, such as:

• Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
• Chronic hepatitis B or C.
• Autoimmune hepatitis.
• Liver cirrhosis.
• Primary biliary cholangitis.
• Primary sclerosing cholangitis.
• Hemochromatosis.
• Wilson's disease.

Conclusion

While liver biopsy is a valuable tool in diagnosing and managing liver conditions, patients should weigh its benefits against potential complications. Healthcare providers carefully assess each patient's individual risk factors before recommending a biopsy, ensuring the procedure is performed safely and effectively.

Frequently Asked Questions