An open biopsy may be performed as part of surgery to remove a nodule or mass.
How Painful Is a Lung Biopsy?
You might be given pain medication for soreness.
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Once you are sent home, carefully follow the post-procedure instructions you received.
The most common complication of a lung biopsy is bleeding in the lung.
The likelihood of an abnormality being cancerous depends on many factors, one of which is size.
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Vachani, Anil et al.Complications After Transthoracic Needle Biopsy of Pulmonary Nodules: A Population-Level Retrospective Cohort Analysis.
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66(11):1007-14. doi:10.1016/j.crad.2011.05.012
