Patient Instructions - Lung Biopsy

A lung biopsy is a procedure in which a needle is inserted through the skin into the lung or abnormal mass inside the lung to obtain a sample of tissue. A lung biopsy is used to diagnose or rule out causes of localized lung masses, such as lung cancer or infection or other lung disease.

Before your Procedure

• You should not take any blood thinning medications. Coumadin should not be taken for 3 days and other thinning medications like aspirin, Ticlid, Plavix, Pletal or Aggrenox should not be taken for 7 days unless otherwise instructed by your doctor.

• Do not eat or drink anything after midnight the night before the biopsy.

During your Procedure

• A radiologist will use CT or X-ray pictures for guidance when selecting the best site for the biopsy.

• You will be positioned on a table, a few pictures will be taken and the radiologist will mark the best spot for the biopsy.

• A local anesthetic (numbing medication) will be injected into the area. You may feel a burning or stinging sensation as the medication is injected.

• The biopsy needle is then placed and it removes a tiny piece of tissue or some cells from the mass.

• The samples collected are sent to the laboratory where they will be examined.

• Length of the procedure is 1 hour.

After your Procedure

•  A chest x-ray is taken.

Providing safe, quality patient care is our highest priority. To help ensure quality and safety, we ask that you do not bring young children with you to your appointments, as children are not allowed to accompany you during Imaging procedures. Staff is unable to monitor your child in your absence.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your provider.