Liver disease is not uncommon. The Centers for Disease Control say that at least 30 million people, or one person in every 10, in the United States suffers from some form of liver disease. A liver biopsy is one of the best ways for your doctor at our Ocean Parkway or Cobble Hill office in Brooklyn, NY to learn more about the health of your liver. The procedure can provide information about the function of your liver as well as determine if the tissues themselves are healthy.
A liver biopsy is necessary when there is any indication of malfunctioning or illness present within it. This may be due to a number of concerns such as:
- An abnormality was discovered in imaging
- A liver problem exists but is otherwise undiagnosed
- Liver disease is present; allowing for severity to be determined
- To develop a treatment plan for those suffering from a liver condition
- Monitor function and success after a liver transplant
- Determine the cause of liver disease
- Abnormal test results from blood work
- A mass of some type is found on or in the liver
- Unexplained fevers
Your doctor in Brooklyn can use the results from this test to provide a clear picture of what may be happening within the liver. This test can lead to the diagnosis of conditions such as:
- Fatty liver disease
- Chronic hepatitis B or C
- Wilson’s disease
- Primary biliary cirrhosis
- Alcoholic liver disease
- Autoimmune hepatitis
- Hemochromatosis
- Primary sclerosing cholangitis
The procedure used can differ depending on the goal of a liver biopsy. The most common form of biopsy is usually conducted in a Brooklyn doctor’s office, hospital, or outpatient center. You’ll arrive early and have an IV placed for sedation. During the procedure, the doctor will locate the liver, sometimes with the aid of an ultrasound. Then, a fine needle is inserted into the liver through an incision made near the base of your rib cage. If you are awake during the procedure, you’ll be asked to hold your breath.
Other types of procedures are available as well. When you meet with your Brooklyn liver biopsy doctor after the procedure, he or she will inform you of any information immediately available. However, tests can take some time and results may not be immediately available. This procedure is a diagnostic tool that’s minimally invasive yet highly effective.