Liver Biopsy

Gastroenterologists help discover liver disease and the underlying cause. Occasionally, sampling a tiny piece of liver tissue and examining it under a microscope allows our doctors to more accurately detect the cause and severity of any disease or damage.

The procedure typically takes place in a hospital setting. Liver biopsies can be completed in several ways:

Percutaneous biopsy - Typically completed by a radiologist who will use an ultrasound to locate the liver. The patient will lie on his/her back, placing the right arm above the head on the table. The area near the bottom of the rib cage is numbed with an anesthetic, and then a small incision is made. The biopsy needle is then inserted into the incision, the patient will hold his/her breath, and the sample will be taken.

Transjugular biopsy - Typically completed by a radiologist who will make a small incision, and thread a flexible plastic tube through the incision, into a vein in the neck. The tube is then passed into a large vein in the liver. A biopsy needle is then threaded through the tube, and the liver sample will be taken. The tube is removed, and the incision will be bandaged.

Endoscopic Ultrasound - This is an endoscopic procedure similar to an EGD. These procedures are typically performed by gastroenterologists with advanced endoscopy training. After passing the endoscope through the patient's mouth and into their stomach, an ultrasound probe connected to the scope will be able to see the liver through the wall of the stomach and accurately obtain a tissue sample of the liver.