While advanced imaging has come a long way, allowing doctors the opportunity to take a look inside your body without using invasive techniques, there can come a time when they need more information. With a biopsy, they can get a sample of your tissue to rule out or confirm a diagnosis with more certainty. At Lake Immediate Care and Clinic, Dr. Reginald Ebirim and his team offer biopsy services to their patients in Island Lake, Illinois. If you need a biopsy, call the office or fill out the online form to set up an appointment.
The word “biopsy” comes from two Greek words — bios and opsis — which mean “life” and “a sight.” And that’s what a biopsy provides: A glimpse into your life on a cellular level. A biopsy is the study of a tissue sample to determine whether, and to what extent, a disease exists in your body. While the study of the tissue is often done by a pathologist, your doctor at Lake Immediate Care and Clinic can retrieve the sample.
There are several different types of biopsies, including:
Your doctor removes cells from the surface of your tissue by swabbing or scraping.
Using a bore-like knife, the doctor removes a piece of your skin for study.
If your doctor wants a sample that’s liquid, they often turn to a needle biopsy to collect the fluid.
For women who have abnormal Pap test results, the doctor uses a colposcope to take a closer look at your cervix and collect a tissue sample.
Using a long, thin instrument, your doctor can access internal areas of your body to collect samples of tissues and take a closer look.
Doctors use biopsies to diagnose or rule out diseases, as well as get an idea about the progression of the disease. The most common reasons why you may need a biopsy is to check for:
Again, not only do these biopsies help your doctor diagnose a disease, but they’re also important in establishing the extent of the disease, which is especially useful when it comes to staging cancer.
The tissue samples that your doctor extracts are sent off to a pathologist who studies them under a microscope. This process typically takes a couple of days, but it can take up to a week if the pathologist is tasked with several different directives, depending upon what your doctor is hoping to uncover.
If you need to have a biopsy, trust the team at Lake Immediate Care and Clinic. Please call the office or use the online scheduling tool to set up an appointment.
