For adults who have been advised a biopsy of their own kidney (a native kidney biopsy).
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The nephrologist who does your biopsy decides the details. If you were told something different from this sheet, follow what you were told.
What a kidney biopsy is
A kidney biopsy takes small pieces of kidney tissue with a needle. The pieces are examined under a microscope. This shows what is harming the kidney and helps the doctor choose the treatment.
It is done at the bedside with an ultrasound machine, after an injection to numb the skin. You are awake.
In the days before
- Give the doctor a list of every medicine, vitamin and supplement you take. Aspirin, clopidogrel, blood thinners (warfarin, acenocoumarol, apixaban, rivaroxaban, dabigatran), painkillers such as ibuprofen, diclofenac and naproxen, and fish oil make bleeding more likely. The doctor will tell you which ones to stop and from which date. Do not stop a blood thinner or a heart medicine on your own.
- Tell the doctor if you are pregnant or could be, if you bleed or bruise easily, if you have only one kidney, or if you have ever reacted to a numbing injection.
- Tell the doctor if you have fever or burning while passing urine. The biopsy may be moved to another day.
- Blood tests are done first: blood count, clotting tests, blood group and virus tests.
- Your blood pressure must be steady on the day. Take your blood pressure tablets as usual unless you were told otherwise.
- You may be asked not to eat or drink for some hours before the biopsy. Your time is written above.
- You stay in the hospital for the night. Bring a family member, your medicines and your old reports.
- The doctor explains the test and its risks, and you sign a consent form. Ask all your questions before you sign.
During the biopsy
- You lie on your stomach.
- The doctor finds the kidney with the ultrasound, cleans the skin and numbs it with an injection. This stings for a few seconds.
- You are asked to hold your breath for a few seconds while the needle goes in. You hear a click. You may feel pressure.
- This is done more than once, to get enough tissue.
- A dressing is put on, and you turn on to your back.
After the biopsy, in the hospital
- You lie flat on your back, in bed, until the next morning. This is the most important thing you can do to prevent bleeding.
- You may eat and drink lying down. You also pass urine lying down, in a urine pot or a bedpan. Do not get up to walk to the toilet. Ask the nurse.
- The nurse checks your blood pressure and pulse often: every 15 minutes at first, then every 30 minutes, then every hour through the night.
- Your first three urine samples are kept and checked for blood.
- A blood test and an ultrasound scan may be done the next morning before you go home.
- Light pink urine is expected and is not a worry.
- Call the nurse at once if your urine turns red or has clots, if you have pain in the back or the side, if you feel giddy or sweaty, or if you cannot pass urine.
At home, for the next 2 weeks
Do
- Rest for the first day or two
- Take paracetamol if the area is sore, in the dose you were advised
- Keep the dressing clean and dry. Ask when to take it off
- Restart the stopped medicines only on the date written above
- Come for the review visit. The report decides your treatment
Do not
- No heavy lifting, hard exercise or contact sports for 2 weeks
- No sexual intercourse for 2 weeks
- No ibuprofen, diclofenac, naproxen or aspirin for pain, unless your doctor allows it
What is normal
- Soreness where the needle went in.
- Urine that is light pink or slightly cloudy for the first 24 to 48 hours. This is expected.
Get medical help at once if you have
- Urine that is red, dark red or brown, or has blood clots
- Trouble passing urine, or burning while passing urine
- Pain at the biopsy site that is getting worse
- Feeling faint or giddy
- Fever
- Redness, swelling, bleeding or discharge at the biopsy site
Call 108 or go to the nearest hospital with an emergency department. Say that you had a kidney biopsy and on which date. Inform Caspian Healthcare and your nephrologist.
The report
The tissue goes to a pathology laboratory, and the report takes some days. Your review date is written above. Bring this sheet with you.
Questions about this sheet? Call Caspian Healthcare reception on +91 89193 41154. A doctor is on duty at all hours for problems that are not critical. Caspian has no emergency department: in an emergency call 108.
Where this comes from
- US National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK): kidney biopsy
- US National Kidney Foundation: kidney biopsy
- Post-biopsy orders used at Caspian Healthcare, from Dr Praveen Kumar Etta: bed rest until the next morning, the three urine samples and the blood pressure schedule
Prepared by Caspian Healthcare from the sources above. Last reviewed October 2026. General information: your own doctor's written instructions come first.