[Safety of reducing the recovery time after percutaneous and laparoscopic liver biopsy]

Liver biopsy is the main diagnostic tool for the study of the liver, and as such, its inherent complications have been minimised as much as possible over the years, through the modification of several factors regarding its procedure, including post-biopsy recovery time. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety in the reduction of post-liver biopsy recovery time.

A non-blinded, randomised clinical trial was conducted in the "Hermanos Ameijeiras" Hospital from November 2011 to October 2012, on 128 patients in order to assess safety when reducing post-biopsy recovery times. The patients were randomised into 2 groups. Group A was allowed a 6-hour recovery time, while Group B was allowed a 2-hour recovery time after liver biopsy. Complications were fully recorded. The Chi squared test of homogeneity and Student t test was used as appropriate, in the statistical analysis, a significance level of 0.05 was set.

The main biopsy indication was elevated plasma transaminases. Pain in the puncture site was the most recurrent complication (67.2%), and the most serious complication was subcapsular liver haematoma in two cases (1.6%). There were no differences regarding the liver biopsy technique that could have caused complications in any group.

There were no significant differences between 2 hours and 6 hours post-liver biopsy recovery time in terms of complications, so it is considered that after two hours the patient is incorporated more quickly into their activities, and the institution spends less material and human resources.