Ultrasound biopsy neck/thyroid/breast & superficial lumps

Duration of examination

An ultrasound biopsy procedure will generally take approximately 20 minutes.

Please bring with you:

• Your request form
• Medicare and any
• Healthcare cards

Payment on the day of the examination is requested.

What is an ultrasound guided biopsy?

When an abnormality cannot be clearly defined or identified with preliminary imaging or clinical examination, a needle biopsy may be necessary to obtain the additional information required.

Ultrasound is used as a very useful guide to ensure the biopsy sample is taken from the most desirable location within the abnormality.

Patient preparation

There is no specific preparation required.

When booking your biopsy appointment please inform us if you are taking any blood-thinning medication. (i.e. Aspirin, Warfarin, Clopidogrel, etc). You may need to have a blood-clotting test before the procedure and have your medication adjusted by your doctor.

What will happen during the examination?

You may be asked to change into a gown, depending on the part of the body being examined.

Ultrasound scanning is performed to locate the abnormality and determine the best approach for acquiring the sample.

Under sterile conditions the radiologist will use ultrasound guidance to position a needle into the area of interest and obtain a small tissue sample. It is often necessary to ​“jiggle” the needle to retrieve the small amount of tissue for analysis. This process may be repeated several times for complete analysis. Bleeding is normally minimal and after needle removal a band aid is applied.

Are there any risks?

A little bruising is normally the extent of the after-effects.

Other risks, such as infection or injury to organs, are very low. We take every precaution to ensure your procedure is safe and sterile.

If you have any symptoms that you are concerned with following your biopsy, please consult your doctor or present to an emergency department.

After the examination

As soon as you feel comfortable, which is normally immediately after your procedure, you may leave the department and resume your normal activities.

The tissue sample will require detailed examination under a microscope by a pathologist. We will not be able to provide the final pathology report at the time of the examination. This will be sent to your doctor by the pathologist a few days after the examination.

Please be aware pathology analysis is performed by external providers and may incur a separate out of pocket expense.

It is important for you to visit your GP/​specialist to discuss the final results.

It is important you understand why and how we will be assisting you. If you have any questions, please call one of our clinics or speak to our staff on the day of your visit.