sigh Medical professionals with no idea...

Elcarim · Mar 17, 2011

I am a Coumadin 'lifer' and I like to think I am pretty informed about life on warfarin.

I have to have a fine needle biopsy done on a cyst in my breast... a scar from being bitten by a horse, but they want to make sure there is nothing sinister lurking. When I booked it I was asked if I was on any 'blood thinning' drugs... I told the person booking it (who was a nurse) that I was. So she went off to find a doctor to find out if I should go off the warfarin for this procedure...

Now, I probably bleed more when I have my finger pricked for INR testing than this fine needle will cause. Fortunately the first doctor she found said there was no need for me to go off warfarin and onto heparin for the procedure. Because I would have just told her that I was not going to risk a clot for the sake of a tiny bit of potential bleeding. She agreed with me when I told her that I understood that it was a very minor procedure with minimal risk compared to the risk of stopping my medication.

Normally I go by a 'don't ask, don't tell' attitude and only mention my anticoagulation if I think it will be an issue, or I discuss it with my GP when he orders a test or procedure. When you consider that experts now recommend that anticoagulation not be stopped for things like tooth extractions and pacemaker changes, a fine needle biopsy is along the lines of the sort of thing you'd simply put a Band-Aid over at home.

Bina · Mar 17, 2011

Jodie, I would stay on my Coumadin too.....a fine needle biopsy shouldn't require bridging or stopping ACT.
But it is wise to check your INR before and have it nicely in range; don't upset the docs.

Best wishes with the test and make sure to bite the horse that bit you !!

catwoman · Mar 17, 2011

Jodie:

I had one of those needle biopsies done in July 1992 -- before my MVR. Had a huge cyst that came up within just a couple of days. About the size of a golf ball, it seemed, at same place I had had a biopsy during my hysterectomy in 1985.
They drew fluid, waited for pathology on it. It was benign, so they drew out the rest of the fluid and injected air into the cyst to "kill" it. There was no incision, no bruising, no pain. And no more problem with the cyst.

If I was facing the same thing today, I'd do it w/out going off warfarin. I can't see that there would be any problem. It's just a fine needle biopsy.

Good luck! I'm sure yours will be negative too.

Elcarim · Mar 24, 2011

Well, I had the biopsy done today, and guess what, I didn't bleed to death

Two tiny spots where the needles went in. No bruising or anything.

Doctor said he didn't see anything that worried him, so hopefully that will be that dealt with now.