After transplant, your child's doctor may order a biopsy to
determine if the cause of elevated liver enzymes is rejection.
During a liver biopsy, the doctor will take a small piece of the
liver so it can be examined under a microscope. Before pediatric
liver transplant, a biopsy can help determine the cause of
chronic liver disease, as well as cellular changes and the
degree of damage in the liver. Your child may have a liver
biopsy if he's already in the hospital. If you child isn't
hospitalized at the time of the biopsy, it will be done on an
outpatient basis, but he may stay overnight for observation.
Your child will have nothing to eat or drink for four to six
hours before the biopsy, but will receive fluids through an
intravenous (IV) line. He'll undergo blood tests, as well as an
ultrasound, which helps the doctor pinpoint the exact location
of the liver. Right before the test, a nurse will check your
child's heart rate, breathing and blood pressure and listen to
his lungs. Then the doctor will give you