Candi,  I;m so sorry that you are faced with having to deal with the
possibility of damage to your kidney.  I used to spill albumin when I was a
teenager and whenever I have labs done I was look to see if I still do.

I have never had a biopsy but looked it up on the Kaiser website and have
copied and pasted the info that they have for their pts who are having the
test done.

Will add you to my prayers and I truly hope that the tests do not show
anything and if it does that it is easily fixable!!!!!!

Hugs,
Sherry

A kidney biopsy is done using a long thin needle put through the back
(flank) into the kidney. This is called a percutaneous kidney biopsy. A
tissue sample is taken and sent to a lab. It is looked at under a
microscope. The sample can help your doctor see how healthy your kidney is
and look for any problems.

A kidney biopsy is done to:

 a.. Find kidney disease when there is blood or protein in the urine or
when the kidneys are not working well.
 b.. Check kidney problems seen on an ultrasound or a CT scan.
 c.. Watch kidney disease and see if treatment is working.
 d.. See whether a transplanted kidney is working.
How To Prepare
Tell your doctor if you:

 a.. Are taking any medicines. If you are taking aspirin, nonsteroidal
anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen or naproxen), or
blood thinners (such as Coumadin, heparin, or Plavix), your doctor may tell
you to stop taking these medicines for several days before the biopsy.
 b.. Are allergic to any medicines, such as those used to numb the skin
(anesthetics).
 c.. Have had bleeding problems or take blood thinners, such as aspirin or
warfarin (Coumadin).
 d.. Are or might be pregnant.
Do not eat or drink for 8 hours before the biopsy. You will empty your
bladder before the biopsy.

Arrange to have someone take you home after the biopsy because you may be
given a medicine (sedative) to help you relax.

You will have blood tests done before the kidney biopsy to see whether you
have any bleeding problems or blood clotting disorders. You may also have an
ultrasound test or CT scan of the kidney to show the best place in your
kidney to put the biopsy needle.

For a kidney biopsy, you will be asked to sign a consent form. Talk to your
health professional about any concerns you have regarding the need for the
test, its risks, how it will be done, or what the results will mean. To help
you understand the importance of this test, fill out the medical test
information form  (What is a PDF document?).

A kidney biopsy is done by a urologist, nephrologist, or a radiologist in a
clinic or a hospital. A kidney biopsy is often done by a radiologist using
ultrasound, fluoroscopy, a CT scan, or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to
help guide the biopsy needle.

You will need to take off all or most of your clothes. You will wear a gown.
Before the biopsy, you may be given a sedative through an intravenous (IV)
line in a vein in your arm. The sedative will help you relax and lie still
during the biopsy.

You will be asked to lie facedown on an examination table. A sandbag, a firm
pillow, or a rolled towel will be placed under your body to support your
belly. It is very important that you follow your doctor's directions about
breathing, holding your breath, and lying still while the biopsy is being
done.

Your doctor will examine your back and may mark the biopsy site by making a
slight dent in your skin with a pencil or tool. The biopsy may be done on
either the right or the left kidney. The site will be cleaned with a special
soap. Your doctor then gives you local anesthetic to numb the area where the
biopsy needle will be inserted.

Your doctor puts the biopsy needle through the skin while looking at your
kidney with ultrasound. You will be asked to hold your breath and stay very
still while the needle is put into the kidney.

The needle is removed after the tissue sample is taken. Pressure is put on
the biopsy site for several minutes to stop the bleeding. Then a bandage is
put on the site. The biopsy takes 15 to 30 minutes.

After the biopsy, you will rest in bed for 6 to 24 hours. Your pulse, blood
pressure, and temperature will be checked often after the biopsy.

If no problems develop, you can go home. To prevent bleeding at the biopsy
site, lie flat on your back for the next 12 to 24 hours. You may eat your
normal diet. Do not take aspirin or anti-inflammatory medicines for a week
after the biopsy. You may do your regular activities, but do not do
strenuous activities, such as heavy lifting, hard running, motorcycle
riding, contact sports, or other activities that might jar or jolt your
kidney, for 2 weeks after the biopsy. Also, drink more fluids so you will
not be dehydrated.

How It Feels
You may feel a brief sting or pinch when the numbing medicine is put in.
When the biopsy needle is put in, you may feel a sharp pain for a few
seconds.

It is normal to feel some muscle soreness in the area of the biopsy for 2 to
3 days after the biopsy. You may have a small amount of bleeding on the
bandage after the biopsy. Talk to your doctor about how much pain and
bleeding you can expect. Many people will have bright red blood in their
urine for the first 24 hours after the biopsy; this is expected.

Risks
There is a small chance for serious problems from a kidney biopsy, but they
are rare.

 a.. Bleeding into the muscle, which can cause soreness.
 b.. Bleeding into the kidney.
 c.. Infection of the skin at the biopsy site.
 d.. Pneumothorax (collapsed lung).
 e.. Puncturing a major blood vessel, which may need blood transfusions or
surgery. This is very rare.
After the biopsy
After the biopsy, call911or other emergency services immediately if you
develop:

 a.. Signs of shock.
 b.. Severe pain in your chest, shoulder, or belly.
 c.. Moderate to severe difficulty breathing.
After the biopsy, call your doctor immediately if you:

 a.. Develop more pain in your back, belly, or groin.
 b.. Have too much bleeding or drainage (such as pus) from the biopsy site.
 c.. Have blood in your urine for longer than 24 hours after the biopsy.
 d.. Develop a fever.
 e.. Have weakness or lightheadedness when you change position, such as
standing up from a sitting or lying position.
Results
A kidney biopsy is done by inserting a long needle through the back (flank)
to remove a sample of kidney tissue. This is called a percutaneous kidney
biopsy.

 a.. Samples of kidney tissue are sent to a pathology lab, where they will
be looked at under a microscope for kidney diseases, such as kidney cancer.
 b.. Other samples of kidney tissue may be sent to a microbiology lab to
see whether an infection is present.
Biopsy results are ready in 2 to 4 days. If tests are done to find
infections, it may take several weeks for the results to be ready.

 Kidney biopsy  Normal: The structure and cells of the kidney look normal.
There are no signs of inflammation, scar tissue, infection, or cancer.

     Abnormal:  The sample may show signs of scarring due to infection,
poor blood flow, glomerulonephritis, a kidney infection (pyelonephritis), or
signs of other diseases that affect the body, such as systemic lupus
erythematosus.

     Kidney tissue may show tumors that were not expected, such as Wilms'
tumor (which occurs in early childhood) and renal cell cancer (which is most
common after age 40).

What Affects the Test
Reasons you may not be able to have the test or why the results may not be
helpful include:

 a.. Having an untreated bleeding or blood clotting disorder.
 b.. Not being able to lie still.
 c.. Having advanced kidney disease, uncontrolled high blood pressure, or
only one kidney.
 d.. Being obese.
 e.. Having a severely deformed spine.
 f.. Having a urinary tract infection.
There is a small chance that a cancer may be missed because the needle
biopsy takes tissue from such a small area.

What To Think About
 a.. A kidney biopsy is done after other tests for kidney disease, such as
blood and urine tests, ultrasound, and a CT scan), have not been able to
tell what kind of kidney problem is present. A kidney biopsy has more chance
for problems than these other tests and a high rate of false-negative
results. More than one biopsy may be needed. For more information, see the
medical tests Abdominal Ultrasound and CT Scan of the Body.
 b.. A kidney biopsy will not be done if kidney cancer is suspected.
Surgery to remove the kidney will likely be recommended in this situation.
 c.. Open kidney biopsy and ureteroscopy are two other methods that may be
used to take kidney tissue samples. You will stay overnight in the hospital
for these biopsies.
   a.. An open kidney biopsy is a surgery done in an operating room while
you are asleep (general anesthesia). A cut (incision) is made through the
back or the side and a small piece of kidney tissue is taken out. Open
biopsy is often done when a tumor is present. It may also be done when a
person has only one working kidney, to lower the chance of injuring the good
kidney.
   b.. Ureteroscopy with biopsy is often done if there is a mass in the
renal pelvis or ureter. Ureteroscopy is a surgery done in an operating room
under spinal or general anesthesia. A long thin flexible tube (ureteroscope)
is used to look inside the ureter and lower part of the kidney (renal
pelvis). Once the mass is found, a biopsy is done through the ureteroscope.