The person is then given a sedative and pain medicine . The healthcare provider will inject local anesthesia to numb the person's right side near the ribs. For a needle biopsy of the liver, a thin needle is then inserted. A small piece of liver tissue is drawn out through the needle. The provider may use an ultrasound to guide the needle insertion.
Pressure is applied to the puncture site to prevent bleeding, and the site is bandaged.
Two less common methods for liver biopsy involve more extensive surgery. A laparoscopic biopsy is done by inserting a lighted tube through an incision into the abdomen. A transvenous biopsy is done through a catheter that is inserted into a neck vein. The healthcare provider will give specific instructions. In general, medicines that cause blood thinning are stopped a week before the test.