Page 20 - Florida Sentinel 11-13-20

Health
How To Prepare
Your doctor will tell you if
there's anything you need to
do -- or not do -- before your
biopsy. For example, you
might need to stop taking
drugs like blood thinners or
aspirin, or not eat or drink for
a number of hours before-
hand. If you’re going to get
medicine to make you sleepy during the procedure, ask some- one to go with you so they can drive you home.
Type: Needle Biopsy
What Is a Biopsy?
It's a test to check for signs of disease. Your doctor takes a small sample of tissue or cells from an area of your body where you may have cancer, an infection, or an- other health issue. The sam- ple is sent to a lab, where board certified pathologists look for cells that could be harmful to your health.
Getting Answers
With some types of biop- sies, your doctor can test the sample right away for quick results. Other results are ready in a day or two, but some take a few days longer. The lab will send them to your doctor, who will talk with you about them.
What to Expect Afterward
The affected area may be sore or uncomfortable for a few days, but your doctor can give you pain medicine if you need it. Take it easy the day after your biopsy, and follow your doctor’s instructions on how long to wear a bandage or take care of the site in some other way.
With this kind of biopsy, your doctor uses a needle to take a bit of tissue from a pos- sible problem area. Doctors typically recommend this to test tissues from breasts, lymph nodes, thyroid glands, or testicles.
How a Needle Biopsy Is Done
Your doctor will do this procedure in a clinic or office, and it usually takes less than an hour. They'll clean and numb the area, then they may use ultrasound or another type of imaging scan to help guide the needle to the spot to draw out tissue. Afterward, they'll cover the area where the needle went in with a bandage. It may be a bit sore or bruised for a little while.
Type: Skin Biopsy
This procedure tests moles, growths, rashes, or le- sions on your skin. It’s often used to check for skin cancers like melanoma. If the area is just on the surface of your skin, your doctor will shave off a tiny sample with a razor. Deeper growths may need a procedure called a punch biopsy. With that, your doctor will use a round tool to re- move a sample for testing.
How a Skin Biopsy Is Done
The area will be cleaned and numbed with medicine. You may feel a little pinch or burning from that, but you won't feel anything with the biopsy itself. Afterward, the site may be red, but it should- n't hurt. You can rub ointment on the area to keep the skin moist and prevent a scar or in- fection. It should heal within 3 weeks.
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