Discharge Instructions for Kidney Biopsy

You had a procedure called a kidney biopsy. Your health care provider used a special needle to remove a small piece of tissue from your kidney to examine it for signs of damage and disease. A kidney biopsy is ordered after other tests have shown that there may be a problem with your kidney. Kidney biopsies are also performed when kidney disease is suspected and to rule out cancer.

Home care

• Rest for 24 hours. Get up only to use the bathroom.

• Don’t drive for 24 hours after the procedure.

• Don’t shower for 24 hours after the biopsy. If you wish, you may wash with a sponge or washcloth. When you are able to shower, don’t scrub the site. Gently wash the area and pat it dry.

• Remove the bandage covering the biopsy site 24 hours after the procedure.

• Don’t lift anything heavier than 10 pounds for 3 days after the procedure.

• Ask your health care provider when you can return to work. Be sure to tell your health care provider if your job involves heavy lifting.

• If you normally take blood thinner medications (anticoagulants or antiplatelet medications) and you stopped taking them a few days before your procedure, ask your doctor when to start taking them again.

When to seek medical care

Call your doctor right away if you have any of the following:

• Blood in your urine

• Dizziness or lightheadedness

• Sudden or increased shortness of breath

• Sudden chest pain

• Fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, or chills

• Increasing redness, tenderness, or swelling at the biopsy site

• Opening of or drainage or bleeding from the biopsy site

• Increasing pain, with or without activity