An ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy of the bowel is a medical procedure used to collect a small sample of cells from a suspected abnormal area in or near the bowel. Here’s what it means in simple terms:

What the procedure is

Ultrasound-guided: A doctor uses an ultrasound scanner to see the bowel and surrounding structures in real time. This helps them precisely guide the needle.

Fine needle aspiration: A very thin needle is inserted through the skin and into the area doctors want to sample. Unlike a core biopsy, which takes a small “chunk” of tissue, FNA takes a small collection of cells.

Biopsy: The purpose is to gather cells to be examined under a microscope to check for cancer, inflammation, infection, or other abnormalities.

Why it’s done

The procedure was carried out because a routine CT scan had shown a grey mass in my small intestine. The following PET CT scan showed that the area did have significant volume take up of the radioactive contrast.

My consultant wanted to confirm exactly what the cells are, especially as it was in a tricky location in the bowel. She wanted to get a diagnosis without major surgery.

Admittance

Getting admitted is always a fairly long process but I found myself in a lovely little side ward, or as the door said “Biopsy Room”.

After everything was finished I was pushed into the main biopsy ward which was actually a really nice area.

How it’s performed

You lie on a bed while a specialist (usually a radiologist) scans the area with ultrasound. The skin is cleaned and a local anaesthetic is given to numb the area. Using the live ultrasound image as a guide, they insert a thin needle to the target area. They gently draw out cells for analysis. The sample goes to the lab for cytology (cell-level examination).

What it feels like

For me there was absolutely minimal discomfort. A small bit of pressure or a short, sharp scratch when the needle goes in. The whole procedure from start to finish was probably less than 45 minutes. The consultant was so reassuring and explained every step of the biopsy and the nurse was there making sure that I, as the patient, was as comfortable as possible whilst keeping an eye on my “obs”.

The next part was even easier – just laying still on the ward whilst all the nurses were brilliant and looking after their patients.

Risks (generally low)

• Bruising or soreness at the needle site.
• A small risk of bleeding.
• Very rarely, infection.
• Because it’s in the bowel area, there is a tiny risk of bowel perforation, but this is uncommon with experienced teams and ultrasound guidance.

What results show

Results usually indicate whether the sampled area contains:

• Cancer cells
• Benign (non-cancerous) cells
• Signs of inflammation or infection
• Lymph node involvement

All in all a really simple procedure with no real incidents at all. The only real concern is – now for the wait! Those dreaded results as the scanxiety starts again.