Why is hemostasis after biopsy often performed secondarily?

Why is hemostasis after biopsy often performed secondarily?

• A. To speed the procedure
• B. To avoid thermal injury to the specimen
• C. To prevent infection
• D. To preserve tissue architecture

Answer: (B)

Thermal energy from cautery can create artifacts in the biopsy tissue, degrading its histologic quality and making interpretation unreliable. By obtaining the tissue sample first and then achieving hemostasis around the biopsy site, you preserve the specimen’s architecture for accurate pathology. After the sample is secured, bleeding can be controlled with methods that minimize heat transfer to the tissue, such as non-thermal sealing or clipping, rather than cautery applied to the specimen itself.

Thermal energy from cautery can create artifacts in the biopsy tissue, degrading its histologic quality and making interpretation unreliable. By obtaining the tissue sample first and then achieving hemostasis around the biopsy site, you preserve the specimen’s architecture for accurate pathology. After the sample is secured, bleeding can be controlled with methods that minimize heat transfer to the tissue, such as non-thermal sealing or clipping, rather than cautery applied to the specimen itself.