What is Renal Biopsy?

Renal biopsy is that a small piece of renal tissue is cut by a specially designed puncture needle through your back under ultrasound scan. You must maintain a prone position during the procedure. For patients undergoing kidney transplant, the biopsy site is the right or left side of abdomen. The procedure will repeat about 3 to 4 times. Before this procedure, you will receive local anesthesia around the biopsy site. Therefore, you will only have the sensation of foreign body instead of pain during the procedure.

What Conditions Will You Need Renal Biopsy?

It is needed to make diagnosis of kidney diseases, and to decide therapeutic guides of the drugs when the medications do not work for hematuria, proteinuria, and edema. Also, it is needed to determine the degree of renal injury, prognosis and therapeutic plan; and to understand the etiologies of the worsening renal function in graft kidney.

Notices Prior to the Procedure

Please go to the toilet before renal biopsy. Sign the consent form for renal biopsy.

The Steps of Renal Biopsy

1. Keep prone position (supine position for patient with transplanted kidney).
2. Determine the puncture site under ultrasound scan
3. Finish skin disinfection and local anesthesia
4. Insert the puncture needle into the back and take 2-3 small pieces of renal tissue (about 1-2 cm per piece). Temporarily hold your breaths for at least 30 seconds during the puncture.
5. If there is any discomfort during the procedure, please do not move your body. You can orally inform your doctor about it.

Notices after the Procedure

1. To prevent bleeding, you should lie in prone position so that the doctor could compress the puncture site for 10 minutes.
2. Keep supine position for 8 hours with compression of sand bags. If you want to go to the toilet, please use the chamber pot by the bed and avoid getting out of bed.
3. There may be hematuria after the procedure but this should diminish gradually.
4. Please inform the nurse if there is any discomfort.
5. 3Drinking much water is recommended. Inform the nursing staff to observe the first voiding. Please observe the urine color of subsequent voiding yourself. If the urine color becomes darker, please inform our nursing staff immediately.
6. Nursing staff will measure your blood pressure and record your heat beat regularly.

Notices after Discharge

1. Do not lift heavy objects within two months.
2. Do not bend your back to raise heavy objects.
3. If hematuria is noted, please return to hospital for further examination and treatment without delay.
4. Avoid violent exercise in one week after discharge