Biopsy

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Biopsy is the name for a small sample of tissue that a doctor takes from your body, for examination. The word biopsy means both the sample tissue itself, and the act of taking a sample.

Biopsies help doctors to diagnose a range of conditions. They help doctors to work out what is wrong with you. The sample of tissue can be looked at under a microscope to see the individual cells. The cells may also be tested using various chemicals, to see how your tissue responds. The type of test or examination depends on what conditions or unusual signs your doctor is looking for.

The sample of tissue may come from almost anywhere in your body. Common places to have a biopsy taken from are your skin, or an organ such as your liver or lungs. The way that the biopsy is carried out depends on where the sample is being taken from.

Most biopsies happen in an outpatient appointment, which means you donâ€™t have to stay in hospital overnight. If you need a general anaesthetic, which makes you unconscious, you might be in hospital overnight. This might be needed if you have a biopsy of an internal organ. Sometimes biopsies are carried out in the middle of an operation, so that a surgeon can get the results quickly and make a decision on the spot about how best to treat you.