Biopsy: what it is and what it is for

Depending on the tissue or area of ​​the body to be examined, as well as the technique used to perform the extraction, we can differentiate several types of biopsy:

• Excisional biopsy . Intervention in which a part of the body is removed, such as an entire organ or tumor. It can be considered as a surgical intervention, since it is performed in the operating room under general anesthesia. It is usually used to remove a small breast tumor, remove the spleen, or remove a lymph node adenopathy.
• Incisional biopsy . This procedure allows the partial removal of a tissue or tumor in order to find out if it is malignant or benign. It is usually carried out in cases where there is a tumor in the kidney, lung, liver or brain.
• Endoscopic biopsy . It consists of the introduction of a tube through a conduit of the human body, in order to examine the area and make an incision to extract tissues that can be examined later. This type of biposia is carried out to obtain tissues from the colon, rectum, stomach, or esophagus. In the following article we will talk about digestive endoscopy .
• Colposcopic biopsy . It is only performed in women with the objective of analyzing tissues of the vagina or cervix, using a device called a colposcope, which is equipped with high-magnification lenses. The colposcopic biopsy can detect the presence of cancer.
• Stereotaxic biopsy . It is performed by obtaining images that allow the presence of a tumor or mass to be detected and serve as a guide to extract tissue.
• Perforation biopsy . It is carried out under local anesthesia. It consists of the extraction of a tissue sample through a cylindrical tube with a hollow interior.
• Core needle biopsy . It is performed under local anesthesia. A needle is inserted into the lesion quickly and a sample is drawn.
• Biopsy by fine needle aspiration-puncture . A small needle is inserted and aspirated to obtain cells in order to analyze tissues in the lung or pancreas.

The biopsy makes it possible to establish a diagnosis with certainty after analyzing a sample of tissue from the body, allowing to rule out or confirm the presence of a disease. It can be performed using local or general anesthesia, depending on the type of biopsy that the specialist deems appropriate. This type of medical test causes injuries, and as a result bleeding and infections can occur, although it does not usually cause great discomfort or problems.

Whatever type of biopsy is carried out, it is considered an invasive technique , since it leaves minor or more serious wounds. In the case of incisional and excisional biopsies, they are considered very similar to surgical interventions, since they cause considerable wounds and involve the administration of general anesthesia for their performance. On the other hand, puncture biopsies, both fine and thick needle, and in perforation biopsy, the wound is much smaller and can be performed under local anesthesia. Endoscopic biopsy is the one that is considered less invasive, although it depends on the organ from which the tissue sample is needed, general anesthesia may be required.

After the medical test, rest may be needed to prevent stitches from skipping and bleeding, in addition to following all the specialist’s recommendations.

The specialist will be in charge of indicating the biopsy procedure and will indicate if you should stop taking any medication . It is possible that they prevent you from eating during the eight hours before the intervention, although you can drink water and take medications with the authorization of the specialist. In the case of requiring insulin due to diabetes, it is necessary to indicate it to the doctor. Similarly, you should inform yourself about allergies, medication you are taking, and even supplements. Likewise, it is convenient to indicate if you have suffered from any ailment lately or any other health problem.

Women who are in doubt about whether or not they are pregnant should also tell their doctor, since some procedures that involve radiation can harm the fetus.

This article is merely informative, at FastlyHeal .com we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.

If you want to read more articles similar to Biopsy: what it is and what it is for , we recommend that you enter our category of Medication and medical tests .