My Liver Biopsy Experience

Leading up to my diagnosis of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), my gastroenterologist wanted me to have a liver biopsy. Liver biopsies are not always necessary to obtain a diagnosis for PBC, but my doctor felt it was essential for me.

I had just turned 31, and all the radiological tests and scans I had done indicated that everything was normal. However, my labs were very concerning. My doctor knew I had some sort of autoimmune liver disease based on my lab work, and he wanted a definitive diagnosis of what exactly was happening in my body. This was so that we could immediately start the appropriate treatment.

Fearful of the biopsy

At that point in time, I had been working in an ICU for four years and I was quite familiar with the biopsy experience. Despite this, I was still very scared going into the procedure. I think working in healthcare made it worse for me because I had cared for patients who experienced complications during or after a biopsy.

Consequently, I knew firsthand what the possible repercussions were if something went wrong. The night before my biopsy, I wasn’t allowed to eat or drink anything after midnight. My arrival time at the hospital was pretty early the next morning.

What the procedure was like

After I was checked in, I was taken back to my patient room, given a gown, and labs were drawn. After that, it was a waiting game to be moved to the interventional radiology department. When I was taken back for the biopsy, I was given some light sedation.

I remember feeling sort of awake, but I did not feel pain. My nurse was very kind and made sure I was comfortable the whole time. She even found me a warm blanket after the procedure because the sedation meds made me very cold and sleepy.

Recovery and immediate follow-up

I was brought back to my family who were waiting, and the physician told them that my procedure was successful without any complications. I needed to be monitored for a few hours afterwards to make sure that I had no signs of internal bleeding before being discharged.

I remember being very sleepy after that, but my tech came in to routinely check my vitals and check on me. Around 1:00 p.m., we were given the okay to go home. My discharge instructions were pretty clear regarding what to watch for.

Managing an unexpected scare

They gave us signs to watch out for over the next few days and told us what to look for if I needed to go to the emergency room. They also told me I could resume my normal activities the very next day. I slept pretty much the rest of the day.

The next day, I had a doctor’s appointment that I went to, and I stopped at the grocery store after to grab a few things. That’s when everything went wrong. By the time I got back home, I was feeling very dizzy and like I could pass out.

A quick return to the hospital

I called my gastroenterologist, and he instructed me to go back to the hospital for some emergent lab work. My partner was at work, but thankfully I lived just a few minutes from the hospital. I called my aunt on the way there and back to give her my location just in case I fainted while driving.

Looking back, that was not the best idea, but at the time I felt rushed to get there. The office called shortly after to tell me my blood work was all stable. There were no marked changes, which was a relief.

My orders were to go home on bed rest, keep an eye out for any changes, and report back to the office if there were any. Thankfully, I was feeling much better the following day and did not need to seek out emergency care. I actually went back to work a few days later.

After the biopsy, I had to keep my wound site bandaged for 48 hours with Tegaderm and then I could switch to a bandage while it healed. That was when I learned I had an adhesive allergy, because I had welts for a few weeks from the Tegaderm.

Confirming the PBC diagnosis

I felt sore for about a month or so and was very careful when it came to bending down or twisting my body. However, I did not experience any other complications. I remember researching my biopsy results once they were posted to my patient portal.

Thankfully, it was a good sample, and the pathologist was able to obtain clear results. I was certain I had either primary biliary cholangitis or autoimmune hepatitis based on the pathology report. My doctor confirmed I had PBC and no overlap of any other autoimmune liver disease. That diagnosis completely changed my life.