Procedure and Aftercare for a diagnostic punch biopsy
There are a variety of diagnostic procedures in the medical field for the assessment of patients' problems and pain extent, skin biopsy is one of these methods. This method is also termed as a punch biopsy because of the tool used to perform this procedure. A punch is a small circular blade that is used to remove a small piece of skin for the examination of sensory nerves in the skin. These nerves are helpful in providing a physician with information regarding pain and temperature. This test also allows physicians to learn the number of nerves and know whether they are in good shape or not. In simple terms, if nerves are somehow damaged, the microscopic examination of a small removed piece of skin helps doctors spot abnormal nerves easily. We have gathered valuable information regarding the procedure and aftercare of a diagnostic punch biopsy to help patients know about this diagnostic test. Further details are given below:
The Procedure:
A skin biopsy or punch biopsy is a simple and basic diagnostic procedure that lasts for 10 to 15 minutes only. The small piece of skin is removed from the leg. Three locations where punch biopsy is possible are above the outer ankle, above the outer knee, and the outer thigh. The area where punch biopsy is performed is cleaned thoroughly with an antiseptic solution. After the antiseptic cleansing, a small injection filled with local anesthetic mostly lidocaine is used to make the place numb for a while. Once the spot becomes numb, the skin biopsy is taken. The injection with local anesthetic feels like a bee sting to the patient and the feel of pain will last for just a few seconds. The skin is then checked for numbness, once the numbness is confirmed the instrument in the shape of a circular blade usually called a biopsy punch is used to remove a small portion of skin from the numb place. After the removal of a skin sample from the numbed place, bandage dressings are applied to the biopsy sites. Usually, there is no need for stitches because the skin heals on its own after 1 or 2 weeks. The probability of bleeding or infection is very little in the case of biopsy. The patient will not feel any sense of pain or discomfort from the biopsy site once the skin heals.
Avoid Bleeding:
After the procedure, the patient will be checked for bleeding before leaving the healthcare facility. I somehow bleeding starts again at home, the patient is advised to stay calm and don’t disturb the bandage dressing. Applying a pad for several minutes on the bleeding site will help you stop bleeding without disturbing the dressing. An effective way to stop bleeding is elevating the area, if the bleeding is still happening then the patient should immediately consult the duty nurse or local emergency healthcare facility for further assessment. Once the bleeding stops, a fresh bandage dressing will be applied to the biopsy site. If the patient is using anticoagulants like Aspirin then it is better to stay extra vigilant about bleeding.
Additional Care:
The patient is advised to keep the dressings on the biopsy site for a minimum of 24 hours. If the patient has to take bath after 24 hours, then it is better to take bath with dressings on, after bath remove these dressings. After removal of bandage dressings, use an adhesive bandage to cover the biopsy site and avoid its exposure to open air.