Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: One week before your procedure
• Method 2 of 3: The Day Before Your Procedure
• Method 3 of 3: One Hour Before Your Procedure
• Tips
• Warnings

If you have a kidney biopsy, then you are probably wondering how to prepare for it. While it is your responsibility to be instructed by your healthcare provider, you can also read the helpful tips below.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: One week before your procedure

1. 1 Check if everything is okay with blood clotting. Your healthcare provider will ask you if you have severe bleeding after minor cuts. You may need to undergo several lab tests to make sure you don't have a bleeding problem that will measure the bleeding time and the clotting time of your blood. This will help ensure that after the needle is punctured in your kidney, you will not experience heavy bleeding. The kidney is a vascular organ, so the risk of bleeding from minor damage is very high. Blood clotting problems can increase this risk.
2. 2 Check if everything is okay with blood clotting. Your healthcare provider will ask you if you have severe bleeding after minor cuts. You may need to undergo several lab tests to make sure you don't have a bleeding problem that will measure the bleeding time and the clotting time of your blood. This will help make sure that after the needle is punctured in your kidney, you will not experience heavy bleeding. The kidney is a vascular organ, so the risk of bleeding from minor damage is very high. Blood clotting problems can increase this risk.
   • You should also stop taking drugs that prevent blood clots (such as aspirin) a week before your procedure.
   • One week before your procedure, you should stop taking over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen, herbal anti-inflammatories like ginkgo, garlic, and fish oil.
3. 3 If you are pregnant, tell your healthcare provider. Pregnant women usually have high blood pressure, which increases the risk of bleeding after the procedure. In addition, due to pregnancy, the structure of the kidneys changes, so it is extremely difficult to identify the disease. A biopsy should only be done if it affects your treatment plan.
   • Before the biopsy, your doctor may ask you to have one or two cross-match blood samples as a precaution.
   • Your doctor may ask you to postpone the procedure until after childbirth, when your kidney structure has recovered and a real medical condition can be identified.
4. 4 Prepare information for your anesthesiologist. An anesthesiologist is a doctor who selects drugs that will make the biopsy procedure less painful for you. You will need the following information:
   • Family cases.The anesthesiologist needs to know if any of your close relatives have had problems with anesthesia in the past. This information will help the anesthesiologist find the right drugs for you to use during your procedure.
   • Allergic reactions to drugs. Inform the anesthesiologist about your allergic reactions to medications.
   • Medical history. Remember to inform your anesthesiologist if you experience bleeding or if you are taking blood thinners (anticoagulants) such as Coumadin or aspirin. Other drugs that can cause bleeding are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as Advil, Ibuprofen, Motrin, etc. You will be asked to stop taking these drugs a few days before surgery.

Method 2 of 3: The Day Before Your Procedure

1. 1 Make sure you don't have a skin infection. Examine your abdomen and back for any signs of infection. If you have an infection, the needle during the procedure can transfer microorganisms from your skin to your body. Thus, your kidneys can become infected.
   • Common signs of a skin infection are redness, itching, pain, pus, etc. Open wounds are the most at risk of infection.
2. 2 Sign the patient consent form. Your doctor will inform you about the procedure and the risks and benefits of biopsy. You will need to sign a consent form, as is done with any transaction.
3. 3 Wash and shave the area to be operated on. You will need to shave off your back and belly hair. This will make the job easier for the surgeon. A clean surface will provide good visibility of the surgical area and reduce the risk of infection.
   • After shaving, shower and wash thoroughly with soap and water. It is necessary to destroy as many microbes as possible.
4. 4 Take the anxiolytic that your doctor has prescribed. Most people panic before the usual injection, let alone surgery. Anxiolytics such as bromazepam and lorazepam can help you deal with your fear or anxiety. Take these medicines as prescribed by your doctor.
   • If you don't want to take medication, there are other ways to relax. Taking deep breaths can help you deal with anxiety. Inhale slowly through your nose, hold your breath for 2 seconds, then exhale slowly through your mouth. Repeat 5 times. Do this breathing technique before going to bed and in the morning before surgery.
   • Meditation is also a great way to overcome anxiety. Close your eyes and imagine that you are in a great place. Focus for a couple of minutes and concentrate on slowing your breathing. You can meditate this way before bed and in the morning before surgery.
5. 5 Do not eat after midnight the night before your procedure. You will most likely not be allowed to eat or drink after midnight the night before your procedure. The stomach should be empty to prevent foreign bodies from entering the airways during the procedure. Intrusion of foreign bodies into the airways occurs when the contents of the stomach reach the airways. This can lead to diseases such as pneumonia.

Method 3 of 3: One Hour Before Your Procedure

1. 1 Take medication if needed. Since you are not allowed to eat anything in the morning before the operation, take your medication with small sips of water. This will help the tablets pass through the digestive tract more easily. Remember not to eat food of any kind throughout the morning before your procedure.
2. 2 If you are taking insulin, refrain from taking it in the morning. Taking insulin can lower your blood sugar too much, making the biopsy difficult. Instead, you will be given short-acting insulin along with saline to keep your blood sugar at an optimal level.
3. 3 Arrange with someone to drive you home. After your kidney biopsy, you can return home the same day. However, you may be slightly drowsy throughout the day due to the effects of anesthesia and other sedatives you may be given. Therefore, it is better if you arrange with someone to take you home, because driving yourself can be dangerous.

Tips

• Reasons why you might need a kidney biopsy: check how your kidneys are functioning, rule out kidney cancer, find out if a kidney cyst is benign or not.
• The two main types of biopsy are puncture biopsy, in which a needle is inserted into the kidney through the back, and open biopsy, in which a sample of kidney tissue is taken to determine how healthy it is.

Warnings

• Do not take blood thinners such as aspirin before the procedure.