[Surgical hemostasis for hemorrhage after liver biopsy]

Bleeding after needle liver biopsy (NLB) is well known but surgical hemostasis in these circumstances is rarely assessed. We report 7 cases of laparotomy for hemostasis after NLB. The 7 NLB were done for 6 diffuse hepatopathies and one focal lesion. Three patients had hemostasis disorders at the time of the biopsy. None had cirrhosis. Five patients were operated few hours after the biopsy. Direct hemostasis was performed in 6 cases and in hepatectomy in one. Two patients were reoperated for three repeated hemostasis. Two died. The occurrence of hemoperitoneum after NLB is very rare but serious, occasionally occurring a few days after the biopsy. The respect of contre-indications and technical precautions are the best prevention of this kind of accident.