Percutaneous renal biopsy: an audit of a 2 year experience with the Biopty gun

To review and audit our experience in the use of the semiautomated spring-loaded Biopty gun with ultrasound guidance for renal biopsy, and the results with those obtained eleven years earlier using the Franklin-modified Vim Silverman needle.

We reviewed retrospectively the hospital notes of all patients who under went a percutaneous renal biopsy over a 2 year period at Christchurch Hospital.

There were 126 renal biopsies in 117 patients. Proteinuria (32%) remained the most common indication for renal biopsy. Renal transplant dysfunction (21%) was the next most common indication. IgA nephropathy was more frequently diagnosed than 11 years previously. Despite the use of a finer (18 gauge versus 14 gauge) needle, specimen adequacy was not jeopardised. Bleeding complications (7.9%) are still a significant occurrence with the Biopty gun. Complications in nine of the 10 cases developed within 8 hours of the biopsy.

Over 50% of the renal biopsies were performed for the investigation of proteinuria or renal transplant dysfunction. The semiautomated spring-loaded Biopty gun with ultrasound guidance is easily used by the one operator but, in our experience, was not associated with a lower complication rate than the 14 gauge Vim Silverman needle. We now perform the elective percutaneous renal biopsy as a day case.