lung nodule

[asher1]

My husband is due a lung nodule biopsy and whatever comes from it how long will a hospital stay be roughly ..if any and how long off work. thank you

[zoe69 Moderator Volunteer Vasculitis UK]

Good luck with the biopsy, first of all. Does he only have one or multiple nodules?Depending on the type of biopsy he may need to stay 1-2 days at hospital (especially if the procedure will be done under general anesthesia). In many cases you do a biopsy as an outpatient and go home the same day.

He will have to be careful for at least a week and avoid lifting things.

[asher1 in reply to zoe69]

thank you for your reply, he has what we believe is one nodule at the bottom of his lung, found during another scan, we are trying to determine what the time scale is, we know this all depends on what happens.

[sorefeetsoldier]

Hi,

W

hen I had my Biopsy I was in and out the same day after a few hours. I watched the doc do it on the monitor too. But me being me I stayed at a hotel near the hospital that night just in case.

All went well with no problems at all. Try not to worry both of you .

Best wishes

Sfs

[asher1 in reply to sorefeetsoldier]

I think the nearer it gets the more we stop talking about it..maybe all talked out. Not sure how it will be done yet, think the nervous time is hearing what they have to say. thank you for sharing your experience it is helpful

[JC62]

Hello. I had an x-ray undertaken because of severe pains in my upper back in 2018. From that they could see multiple nodules in my lungs and I was told I needed a biopsy to determine their exact compound. The biopsy I had was undertaken whilst lying on a bed inside a CT scanner! A consultant radiologist then placed a needle with local anaesthetic into my lungs guided by the scanner actively running and took a bit of the nodule which was sent off for analysis. Although I was sedated throughout I watched intently but felt no pain. The whole thing was less than a couple of hours in the hospital as an outpatient. This is clearly the preferred choice if it works! Unfortunately in my case it didn't and was told the guy had missed the nodule!! I seem to recal the % failure rate is quite small but as proved it can fail. I was then told that I would need a VATS (video assisted thoracic surgery) biopsy. To everyone else this would be called pin hole ! I duly turned up at Jimmy's (St James) hospital in Leeds at 7.00 o'clock on a cold morning mid November. I had a general anaesthetic and said pin hole surgery that morning. I woke having been told the procedure had been successful but with two holes in my right side one of which had a drain attached automatically extracting blood in places it shouldn't be. This carried on for 24 hours when they deemed the pump had had done its job. I was an in patient for 2 nights and the best part of 3 days whilst they kept me under observation and taught me how to cough up blood (very small amounts but not good) in places it shouldn't be! I returned home to bed rest for 3 or 4 days and I will not lie the coughing was VERY painful. I was not called back for another 6 weeks to learn of the result. I was told that had the biopsy found any cancer it would have taken only 4 weeks but to rule it out completely it takes a further 2? On New Year's Eve 2018. I was given the news that no cancerous cells were present, to go home and celebrate BUT return to hospital the following week as the multiple nodules were getting bigger along with the pains. This is where my Vasculitis story proper started. With a medical diagnosis of Granulomatosis Polyangiitis aka GPA. As your question was around biopsies I hope I have shed some light for you All I will say re my GPA journey is take everything they throw at you and like me 4 years later enjoy life to the full. Good luck

[asher1]

so pleased to hear you have come through this and are reaping the benefits of working with the medical teams, as I have said we don't know what's planned we talk to the consultant Thursday and anaesthetist on Mon, but to be forewarned is to be forearmed, like all things it can be confusing when you know nothing of procedures, causes or treatment so I appreciate all the replies. I guess it doesn't matter how long things take or how long recovery is its just our heads with numerous questions trying to get a rough idea.

[asher1]

No biopsy he had a robotic wedge section which the hospital lab said was cancer free hallelujah, we will get further results in 4/6 weeks but it looks good. My husband is recovering very well and says it wasn't as bad as he expected ...imaginations ran riot I guess... thank you all for your replies they were encouraging when we needed it, we pray you all stay well too x

[Hidden in reply to asher1]

Hello asher1. This is interesting to me because I was told that I have nodules in my lungs. I was diagnosed with GPA in 2017 which is a form of Vasculitis. The G part of GPA is granulomatosis. The disease causes granulomas which are the nodules. They are not cancerous, but I do get short sharp pains sometimes that feels like my lower lungs and that’s where I was told I had them. Could your case be something similar to that.

[asher1]

no idea what has caused the nodule could it of been infection, inflammation a particle of some sort? as I said the nodule was removed and no cancer found but no kind of diognosis/reason was given. Covid twice this year ... ?