Treatment Duration
15 Minutes
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Treatment Cost
₹ 12,000
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Table of Contents
Book Appointment for Kidney Biopsy
A kidney biopsy is a test used to diagnose a disease or damage in the kidney. The test helps determine the kidney condition's seriousness and monitor the disease's treatment. A doctor may recommend a kidney biopsy test if a person has had a kidney transplant, protein in the urine, abnormal blood tests, or a kidney disease with no known cause.
Biopsy results can show inflammation and scarring and detect cancer in an abnormal mass. Learn more about kidney biopsy meaning, procedure, cost, risks, recovery time, results, etc.
Procedure Name | Kidney Biopsy |
Alternative Name | Renal Biopsy |
Diseases Treated | Blood in urine, Protein in urine, Abnormal result in a blood test, Kidney disease |
Benefits of the Procedure | Detect fault in kidneys, Helps avoid unnecessary treatments, Prevents side effects due to wrong treatment, Less invasive, No scar |
Treated by |
You can check Kidney Biopsy Cost here.
A kidney biopsy, or renal biopsy, is the test doctors use to diagnose kidney diseases and conditions. The kidney biopsy procedure involves removing a small piece of tissue from the kidney to examine it under a microscope for signs of damage. Usually, the procedure is performed in hospitals or outpatient clinics.
Kidneys are two bean-shaped organs below the rib cage on each side of the spine. They remove waste from the body, balance electrolyte levels, and regulate blood pressure.
If routine urine and blood tests indicate that the patient’s kidney is not working properly, the doctor may decide to perform a kidney biopsy. The reasons for kidney biopsy include:
A kidney biopsy helps healthcare professionals identify the cause of a patient’s kidney problems to devise an effective treatment plan. The doctor may recommend a kidney biopsy test if the patient has the following:
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Usually, a kidney biopsy is performed as an outpatient procedure in a procedure room at a hospital. Sometimes, it may be done in the radiology department if a CT scan or an ultrasound is needed during the procedure.
The complete procedure of kidney biopsy usually lasts about an hour. There are two types of kidney biopsy:
Please note: The selection of the kidney biopsy procedure is based on the patient’s health condition and the doctor’s opinion.
The general steps in the kidney biopsy procedure include the following:
The sample of kidney tissue will then be sent to a lab for testing.
The doctor provides several instructions to the patient before the procedure. The patient will be informed about the dos and dont’s of preparation for kidney biopsy.
Here’s what happens before the test:
Since a kidney biopsy is performed as an outpatient procedure, the patient can go home the same day. The following is what a patient can expect during hospital and home recovery.
The patient must follow all aftercare instructions provided by the doctor. It is normal to have bright red blood in the urine for 24 hours after the kidney biopsy. Complete recovery may take about two to three weeks.
Follow-up care is a vital part of the kidney biopsy procedure.
The first follow-up appointment is generally scheduled three to five days after the procedure when the physician receives the test results. During the appointment, the doctor will monitor the patient for possible complications and offer further instructions.
The kidney tissue sample collected during the biopsy is sent to a laboratory for examination by a pathologist. The pathologist analyses the sample with reactive dyes under a microscope to detect scars, infections, and other abnormal conditions.
A kidney biopsy report is usually ready within three to five days.
Kidney biopsy is an effective procedure that helps doctors diagnose kidney conditions. The benefits of a kidney biopsy include the following:
Generally, kidney biopsy is a safe procedure. Some possible kidney biopsy risks include:
The patient should call their healthcare professional if they experience the following kidney biopsy side effects:
Kidney biopsy cost in India ranges from ₹5,000 to ₹20,000. The cost of the procedure may vary depending on several factors, some of which include:
The following is the cost breakup of the kidney biopsy procedure:
Components | Cost |
Pre-procedure cost | ₹ 500 to ₹ 1,000 |
Procedure cost | ₹ 3,000 to ₹ 15,000 |
Follow-up session | ₹ 500 |
Medicines cost | ₹ 300 |
Out-patient charges | ₹ 1,000 to ₹ 5,000 |
Myth: Kidney biopsy is not necessary for kidney cancer treatment.
Fact: People often argue that non-invasive techniques like cross-sectional imaging are accurate enough to determine kidney cancer risk. But the truth is that biopsy confirmation is necessary in almost all cancer cases before contemplating a treatment plan.
The test offers information about the state and extent of cancer. A kidney biopsy may help change the treatment plan if unexpectedly aggressive kidney cancer is determined.
Myth: Kidney biopsy is not helpful because a lesion is most certainly cancer.
Fact: Not true! A lesion in the kidney can also be benign. A kidney biopsy test helps avoid performing wrong treatments for benign or non-aggressive tumours.
Myth: Kidney biopsy is not a safe procedure.
Fact: All surgical procedures carry some amount of risk. Kidney biopsy is generally considered a safe procedure. The chances of risks, such as bleeding, infections, and scarring, are rare. The benefits of the procedure certainly outweigh the risks involved.
A kidney biopsy is done to diagnose a suspected kidney problem. It helps doctors determine the progression of kidney disease and the extent of damage caused.
Furthermore, a kidney biopsy identifies how well the transplanted kidney works and helps doctors devise a treatment plan.
The average kidney biopsy cost is ₹15,000. The cost can range between ₹5,000 to ₹20,000 based on several factors.
The factors include the patient’s overall health, the method used for tissue removal, the type of hospital, the surgeon’s experience and expertise, pre-procedure tests, consultation fees, and the city where the test is performed.
The two common types of kidney biopsy procedures are percutaneous and open. The doctor uses a thin kidney biopsy needle to extract tissue samples in a percutaneous biopsy.
On the other hand, an open biopsy involves a long incision to remove tissue samples from the kidney. Another kidney biopsy technique is a laparoscopic biopsy, in which the doctor makes a small incision and extracts a kidney tissue sample with the help of a laparoscope.
Kidney biopsy is generally performed as an outpatient procedure in a radiology or procedure room at a hospital. The procedure is performed under local or general anaesthesia.
During a percutaneous biopsy, the surgeon makes a small incision and inserts a needle to collect a tissue sample. The patient must take a deep breath and hold it as the doctor takes the sample. The surgeon makes a larger incision in an open biopsy and surgically removes a tissue sample.
Serious complications are not common after a kidney biopsy. Less serious risks and complications may occur after the biopsy, including pain, bleeding, and an abnormal connection between a vein and an artery.
Other rare kidney biopsy risks include infection, urine leaks, and damage to blood vessels and other organs.
The procedure is not usually painful because of local or general anaesthesia. However, when the kidney biopsy needle pushes through the skin to the kidney, the patient may feel pressure or a pop.
It is common to experience pain at the biopsy site after the procedure, usually lasting a few hours.
It may take up to a week before the doctor receives your kidney biopsy results. The results generally arrive within three to five days after the procedure. In urgent cases, a full or partial kidney biopsy report may be available in less than 24 hours.
The doctor will discuss the results during a follow-up appointment.
The common reasons for a kidney biopsy include:
Most people can leave the hospital 12 to 24 hours after the procedure. It is normal to feel some soreness in the biopsy site for two to three days.
While the recovery time for the procedure varies from person to person according to the technique used, people generally begin to feel better after resting for a day or two.
A kidney biopsy helps reveal the cause of kidney problems. The results are considered normal if the tissue from the kidney shows a normal structure without deposits and defects.
On the other hand, the results are abnormal if it shows kidney tissue changes. Abnormal results can indicate conditions such as a kidney infection, kidney cancer, connective tissue disorders, rejection of a kidney transplant, restriction in blood flow to the kidney, etc.
No, a kidney biopsy does not always mean cancer. Unlike other cancers, a biopsy is not always needed to diagnose kidney tumours. Imaging tests can be enough to provide information if a biopsy is required.
Other than diagnosing kidney cancer, a kidney biopsy is also used to diagnose other kidney problems and their progression. The test also helps doctors to determine the treatment plan.
Before a kidney biopsy test, you will have a consultation appointment in which the doctor will discuss the dos and dont’s of preparation for the test.
The doctor will perform urine and blood tests to see if you need a biopsy. You will be asked to stop taking certain blood-thinning medications and NSAIDs. Furthermore, you cannot drink or eat anything for eight hours before the procedure.
After a kidney biopsy test, it is normal to have tenderness and soreness for two to three days and bright red blood in the urine for 24 hours. Kidney biopsy is an outpatient procedure, so you will generally be discharged from the hospital once your vitals stabilise.
Before discharge, the doctor will provide homecare instructions regarding incision care, activities, restrictions, medications, and diet.
Last Updated on: 22 February 2023
HexaHealth Care Team brings you medical content covering many important conditions, procedures falling under different medical specialities. The content published is thoroughly reviewed by our panel of qualified doctors for its accuracy and relevance.
Book Appointment for Kidney Biopsy
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