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Risks
By Mayo Clinic staffA liver biopsy is a safe procedure when performed by an experienced doctor. Possible risks include:
- Pain. Pain at the biopsy site or in the upper right shoulder is the most common complication after a liver biopsy. Most people expect the pain to be worse than it actually is — usually a mild discomfort. If pain bothers you, you may be given a narcotic pain medication, such as acetaminophen with codeine (Tylenol/Codeine).
- Bleeding. Excessive bleeding, called hemorrhage, is the most serious risk of liver biopsy. Severe bleeding may require you to be hospitalized. You may need a blood transfusion. Surgery or a procedure to visualize blood vessels (angiography) and stop the bleeding (embolization) also may be required.
- Infection. Rarely, bacteria may enter the abdominal cavity or bloodstream.
- Accidental injury to a nearby organ. In rare instances, the needle may stick another internal organ, such as the gallbladder or a lung, during a liver biopsy.
- Abdominal pain. Temporary or prolonged pain in your abdomen may occur if you have a transjugular or laparoscopic procedure.
In a transjugular procedure, a thin tube (catheter) is inserted through a large vein in your neck and passed down into the vein that runs through your liver. If you have a transjugular liver biopsy, other infrequent risks include:
- Collection of blood (hematoma) in the neck. Blood may pool around the site where the catheter was inserted, potentially causing pain and swelling.
- Temporary problems with the facial nerves. Rarely, the transjugular procedure can injure nerves that affect the face and eyes, causing short-term problems such as a drooping eyelid.
- Temporary voice problems. You may be hoarse, have a weak voice or lose your voice for a short time.
- Puncture of the lung. If the needle accidentally sticks your lung, the result may be a collapsed lung (pneumothorax).
The majority of complications happen within two hours of a liver biopsy, and almost all occur within 24 hours. Two to 3 percent of people having a liver biopsy need to be hospitalized because of a complication. The chance of death from a liver biopsy is about 1 in 10,000 and usually results from severe bleeding.
- Bravo A, et al. Percutaneous liver biopsy. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Sept. 18, 2009.
- Liver biopsy. National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/liverbiopsy/. Accessed Sept. 18, 2009.
- Rockey DC, et al. Liver biopsy (AASLD position paper). Hepatology. 2009;49:1017.
- Sanchez WS, et al. Liver cirrhosis. American College of Gastroenterology. http://www.acg.gi.org/ patients/ gihealth/ pdf/ livercirrhosis.pdf 44k 08/Jan/2009. Accessed Sept. 18, 2009.
- Liver biopsy. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/print/sec03/ch023/ch023d.html. Accessed Sept. 18, 2009.
- Chopra S. Patient information: Liver biopsy. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Sept. 18, 2009.
- Bravo A, et al. Transjugular, laparoscopic, and fine needle aspiration liver biopsy. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Sept. 18, 2009.
