preparation for biopsy

[Marcia2202]

I have my biopsy coming up in a week. I wanted to ask, if you stopped taking blood thinning supplements like Vitamin E, fish oil and selenium, garlic pills, cayenne etc. before the biopsy.

I have read that one should stop these and certain meds like aspirin two weeks before SURGERY. (I am NOT taking any medication, so I am ONLY asking about supplements) So I am wondering how this would apply to a liver biopsy.

What is your experience with this?

Thanks for any input.


Marcia

[Marcia2202]

Thanks...

I do NOT have low platelets... All my blood counts are normal except the ALT 39, AST 34 and the coagulation factor.

To the clotting factor. There did these blood tests they took called

Coagulation Factor (APPT)     25-35 seconds     my result  37 seconds
Coagulation Factor 2+7+10    larger than 0.70    my result 0.77    (right on the border)

I think the second test is also called prothrombin time.

You see, I'm translating from the Danish...

Anyway, I have had two ultrasound scans done... the first by my GP... And the second by the hospital...Both of them with the same results. Everything is in perfect order...

let me try to translate... normal size of liver, no focal pathology, no gallbladder stasis, gallbladder well filled with no concrements or changes in wall structure. (whatever that means) Normal flow in vena porta and arterie hepatica. Spleen not enlarged. 2 normal kidneys without hydronephrosis.  No ascites. Homogenic well defined pancreas (whatever that means) No pathological lymph(lumps) in retroperitoneum. and some other stuff which is impossible to translate.

The first doc said I was in perfect health, according to what he could see. He also said that my liver looked perfectly healthy. I had to mention to him twice that I had hep c.

Anyway, I'm gonna let this biopsy thing go... I really don't care anymore... I'm gonna start treating and hope for a good outcome...

Marcia

[Isobella]

Wow!  Talk about all dressed up and no place to go!!

So close, but yet so far.

I am like you...regardless of the biopsy results...get these buggers out of my blood!

I will be thinking of you tomorrow when I do shot #1.  You're not far behind!

Izzy

[mremeet]

Congrats on getting out of the biopsy! All that fuss and muss and worry for nothing. I'll tell you now that my two biopsies were hellish experiences, and the needle they use is godawful. It really is a big caulk gun needle gun thing. And the needle is several inches long, large gage and has a little guillotine mouth that snaps shut and cuts off the core sample. And they stick that thing deep in your belly - then they screw up and stick in several times more (with student doctors anyway). It's like an alien abduction for real! Argghhhhh... ;-)

Anyway, in the meantime can you at least get a fibrosure blood test? I've had three of them over the years. I don't really trust them (they did not agree with my two biopsies), and my doctors don't really trust them either. But it's better than nothing, plus they're reasonably priced, like $300 in the states (in the event they're not covered under socialized medical care). Also, I've heard the fibroscan is gaining more popularity in Europe. I'm pretty sure it was originally developed in France. Is there any way you can go to another hospital, maybe in another country or two away, and have one performed? And out of curiosity how do they define your clotting factor? Do you have low platelets? Also have you had your spleen sized with a sonogram yet? From what I recall, low platelets and an enlarged spleen tend to go hand in hand with cirrhosis. In the unlikely event you did have cirrhosis, you'd probably want to treat longer than normal to help ensure SVR. So for that reason it might be important to get at least some sense of liver condition prior to starting. Best of luck whatever happens...

[Marcia2202]

Whatever the outcome of the biopsy had been, I would have treated. What I mean is that I would not have postponed treatment if the scores would have been low. I wanna get rid of these buggers.
It's just annoying not to know, but then again... it wouldn't have changed anything, except my curiosity.
My appointment with the treating hepatologist is next Tuesday, so I guess I might be starting next week.

I'm ready anyway... and they seem to believe the same.

Marcia

[comeagain]

Then you have as I see it no option but treat,so you dont have to think should i have waited etc etc if the tx gets a bit ruff its just take a bite of the sour apple and as jasper would have put it geterdone.

I understand you disappointed, even more since I know your a big collecter of information which i think is a big acces that you have.

Do you know when you gonna start on the meds?

God bless

ca

[Marcia2202]

So, here I am in my hospital bed all ready to get the biopsy. I get to know that it is the 'big guy'  who is going to perform the biopsy on me. He is head of the hepatology clinic of this big teaching hospital and also the head of liver research... You know, the biggest guy there... He comes in shakes my hand and talks about that it will be most probably easy to treat, being G 3 and I am otherwise healthy and that I am in good hands. My that my blood values are fine, ALT and AST now in normal range, etc.. Great, I think, very nice...
So he goes on... But unfortunately your blood clotting factor is quite low, kind of on the border and you will not have a biopsy. The risks of bleeding are too high to poke the liver... A few weeks ago another hospital performed a biopsy on someone with similar factor as you have, and the person died. So I'm very sorry. On the bright side, you can now go home enjoy breakfast.

So I asked a bout how about a fibroscan. They had been using it for a while, but they had sent the machine back about 1 months ago, as they did not like that it was not accurate enough.

So here I am... back home enjoying my breakfast and looking forward to my appointment on August 5...

Unfortunately I never got to even get a glimpse of the gun... :-(

And I'll never know how badly my liver was damaged. DARN!

Marcia