Renal (Kidney) Biopsy

Kidney Biopsy or a Renal Biopsy is a procedure which is recommended by Nephrologists to diagnose complicated Kidney problems. Depending upon the seriousness of the issue, a Kidney Biopsy procedure is recommended, to monitor the situation and suggest necessary treatments. Kidney Biopsy procedure involves the removal of small piece of kidney tissue that can be evaluated under a microscope for signs of damage due to the disease. More widely known as percutaneous renal biopsy, this procedure is performed by the doctors, by inserting a thin needle. Before the actual process, your doctor will recommend certain blood or urine tests.

Renal (Kidney) Biopsy

Kidney Biopsy or a Renal Biopsy is a procedure which is recommended by Nephrologists to diagnose complicated Kidney problems. Depending upon the seriousness of the issue, a Kidney Biopsy procedure is recommended, to monitor the situation and suggest necessary treatments. Kidney Biopsy procedure involves the removal of small piece of kidney tissue that can be evaluated under a microscope for signs of damage due to the disease. More widely known as percutaneous renal biopsy, this procedure is performed by the doctors, by inserting a thin needle. Before the actual process, your doctor will recommend certain blood or urine tests.

The following symptoms might require a renal biopsy

  • Blood in the Urine originating from the Kidney
  • A medical condition termed as Proteinuria where there is excess of protein content in the urine
  • Problem with Kidney functioning

While all these conditions might not immediately call for renal biopsy, your doctor will decide based on the seriousness of the condition and your overall health. This procedure is performed under local anaesthesia for general patients but for children, it is performed under general anaesthesia. The renal biopsy procedure is generally a day long process. However the patient is advised a day’s rest after the procedure. In general, the Kidney Biopsy procedure is safe. However, in very few cases, there could be some complications like passing of blood in the urine, pain at the biopsy site or high blood pressure. Your nephrologist will counsel you well for the dos and don’ts of the procedure before you are physically and mentally set to take up the test. If you are under long term medications for other chronic ailments, it is a good idea to bring all the medications along and show them to your nephrologist, during your discussions with him. Usually, a patient under long term medication is advised to stop them, a week before the procedure and for a week after that. After the process is completed, you might experience some pain due to the procedure performed but these are taken care by medicines and restricted activity for some days. During the recovery phase, if the patient experiences continued discomfort like a high fever, weakness or worsening pain at the biopsy site, it will be good to see your nephrologist immediately. The Renal Biopsy report takes about a week’s time to reach the doctor which will be discussed in detail during the patient’s next follow up visit.