In most cases, biopsies are outpatient procedures, so you won't need to stay in hospital overnight. But occasionally some types of biopsy, such as those where a tissue sample needs to be taken from an internal organ, may require a general anaesthetic.
Most biopsies will only require local anaesthetic, which means you won't need to stay in hospital overnight. But an overnight stay is usually required when the procedure is carried out under general anaesthetic.
Most wounds from a skin biopsy heal in 7 to 10 days. Biopsies in certain areas such as the lower legs usually take longer to heal. Until the wound heals, you want to stay out of swimming pools, hot tubs, and other places where the wound would be immersed in water.
Keep a bandage on the biopsy site for a day. Do not drive or run machinery for at least 24 hours. Do not do any strenuous exercise or lifting for at least two days.
You won't be able to return to work or drive immediately if your needle biopsy is done during IV sedation or general anesthesia. Depending on your duties, you may be able to return to work in 24 hours.
You may go home shortly after the procedure. If you got a sedative, you may need to stay longer. The biopsy site may be sore and tender for up to a week. If you had an open biopsy, a cut (incision) was made through the skin to expose an area of the bone.
For 3 days after your biopsy, do not: Lift anything heavier than 5 pounds (2.3 kilograms). Do any strenuous exercises, such as running or jogging. Bathe, swim, or soak the biopsy site under water.
Most biopsies will only require local anaesthetic, which means you won't need to stay in hospital overnight. However, an overnight stay is sometimes required when the biopsy is carried out under general anaesthetic. After having a biopsy, you won't usually feel any pain.
After most fine needle aspiration biopsy procedures, you can drive yourself home and go back to your normal activities right away. Sometimes, the biopsy site may feel sore. In rare cases, infection or bleeding can occur.
A surgical biopsy is a procedure that involves the surgical removal of tissue from a lump or mass for examination under a microscope.
Immediately Following a Biopsy
Vigorous mouth rinsing or chewing in the areas of the biopsy should be avoided. This may cause increased bleeding or the blood clot to dislodge. A liquid or soft diet is recommended for the first 24 hours. Avoid sucking through straws and eating hard or crunchy foods and spicy foods.
Showers are fine starting the day after the biopsy. Leave the band-aids in place while you shower and change them after you dry off. During the time period of daily band-aid changes, do not soak in a bath or swim. If you need to clean the wounds, you can use hydrogen peroxide.
For a few days after the surgery, you will probably feel tired and have some pain. The skin around the cut (incision) may feel firm, swollen, and tender. The area may be bruised.
These procedures are usually fairly quick and might take 15 to 30 minutes to perform, depending on the part of the body being biopsied.
Depending on the type of biopsy performed, you may be able to return home immediately after the procedure. This procedure is usually completed within one hour. You may be required to stay in an area for observation for several hours after the biopsy depending on the type of biopsy performed.
The results, called a pathology report, may be ready as soon as 2 or it may take as long as 10 days. How long it takes to get your biopsy results depends on how many tests are needed on the sample. Based on these tests, the laboratory processing your sample can learn if cancer is present and, if so, what type it is.
A small amount of anesthetic numbs the skin, allowing the procedure to be almost painless. At most a biopsy feels like a slight pinch as the anesthetic is being injected. You shouldn't feel any sensation as the tissue is removed.
During an excisional biopsy, a scalpel is used to cut out a lump or an area of irregular skin and some surrounding healthy skin. As a rule, stitches are needed to close the wound.
An open biopsy is surgery that uses local or general anesthesia. This means you are relaxed (sedated) or asleep and pain free during the procedure. It is done in a hospital operating room. The surgeon makes a cut into the affected area, and the tissue is removed.
Another important factor is whether there are cancer cells at the margins, or edges, of the biopsy sample. A “positive” or “involved” margin means there are cancer cells in the margin. This means that it is likely that cancerous cells are still in the body.
The most common types include: (1) incisional biopsy, in which only a sample of tissue is removed; (2) excisional biopsy, in which an entire lump or suspicious area is removed; and (3) needle biopsy, in which a sample of tissue or fluid is removed with a needle.
You may eat anything soft and cool the first day by chewing away form the biopsy site. Do not drink hot fluids or eat hot food the first day. Avoid hard, crunchy foods that may harm the incision area as well as salty and spicy foods that may cause additional irritation.
Avoid sticky, hard (such as ice cubes, nuts, popcorn, chips), brittle, spicy, highly seasoned, or acidic foods in your diet. Foods such as soups, pasta, scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, macaroni & cheese etc. are best. Be sure to maintain adequate nutrition and drink plenty of fluids.
All tissue that is removed is sent to a laboratory, where a pathologist will examine it under a microscope. The results will be available in about a week. If all the cancer and a margin of healthy tissue are removed during the biopsy, this may be the only treatment you need.
For most biopsy procedures, results are generally available within a few days to one week to 10 days. Ask your provider when you should expect to get your results and how you will receive them.