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Top OBGYN in Atlanta and Alpharetta GA: what is an endometrial biopsy?
Top OBGYN explains the details of an endometrial biopsy
The top OBGYN says that an endometrial biopsy is a procedure that removes a small piece of tissue from the lining of the uterus called the endometrium. Cell changes due to any abnormal tissues or changes in hormone levels can be shown in the tissue sample.
Certain medical conditions can be diagnosed by the doctor after taking a small sample of the endometrial tissue. Uterine infections such as endometriosis can be detected by the biopsy.
This procedure can be done without the use of any anesthesia in your doctor’s office. The biopsy can take approximately 10 minutes to complete.
Is it painful?
Women who are having the procedure done should be notified that the procedure, usually, can be painful. To stop the pain that can be caused by the biopsy you can be given some medication to help. The severe pain from endometriosis can have a psychological impact on women that have the condition. The pain that is caused by endometriosis can be negatively compounded by the inability to conceive.
Why is this performed?
An endometrial biopsy can be used to rule out diseases and is performed to help diagnose any abnormalities in the uterus.
The procedure can be done to:
- Find a cause for any abnormal uterine bleeding or postmenopausal bleeding
- Screen for endometrial cancer
- Evaluate your fertility
- Test your body’s response to hormone therapy
If you are pregnant, you can not have an endometrial biopsy, and you also should not have one if you have any of these conditions:
- Blood clotting disorder
- Acute pelvic inflammatory disease
- Acute vaginal or cervical infection
- Cervical cancer
- Severe narrowing of the cervix called cervical stenosis
What are the risks of the procedure?
An endometrial biopsy has very few risks. You may experience cramping or pain, but this quickly goes away after the procedure is over. The other not so common risks are:
- Feeling light-headed or faint
- Infection
- Bleeding
- Perforation of the uterus, however, is very rare
What do the results mean?
You can expect to have the results back from the lab a week after the procedure. The possible results you might see are:
- Fibroids or polyps
- A uterus infection, such as endometriosis
- Endometrial cancer
- Problem with the thyroid
- Hormonal imbalance
Afterward, the doctor will go over the results and explain them to you. They will also explain if there are any treatments that need to be done based on what they tell you.
You could also receive an inconclusive result. This means that the biopsy could not determine whether you have any cancer cells in the uterus or not. If this happens you might have to have a more involved procedure called a dilation and curettage. The doctor will take a bigger tissue sample from your uterus lining during this procedure to send to a lab for testing.
Top OBGYN in Atlanta and Alpharetta GA
The top OBGYN in Atlanta and Alpharetta GA says that an endometrial biopsy isn’t always perfect. This is because the doctor may sometimes miss a cancerous or precancerous growth since they take a random tissue sample. Tell your doctor if your symptoms don’t go away.
Contact your top Alpharetta and Atlanta OBGYN for your obstetrics and gynecology care, Georgia Obstetrics and Gynecology.
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