Heart Biopsy

A heart biopsy is done to see what the cells in the heart muscle look like. The test is most often done after a heart transplant to see if the heart is being rejected by the body. It may also be done if the doctor suspects an infection in the heart, or if the heart is not pumping well for unknown reasons. To do this test, some small pieces of the heart are removed and looked at under a microscope. To get the sample of heart cells, a doctor places a small tube into a large vein in the leg which in then passed into the heart. Some tiny pieces of the heart muscle are removed and sent to the lab where they are carefully examined.

This test may be done while a child is in the hospital or as an outpatient procedure. If your child is coming in for this test from home, be sure to come the Pediatric Cardiology Clinic early that morning. Your child should not eat or drink anything the morning of the biopsy. Sometimes the doctor will examine your child before the test, but most often this will be done later in the day. Your child may be given medicines to make him or her sleepy during the test. Older children sometimes prefer to have only a local anesthetic.

The biopsy takes about an hour to complete. After the test, your child will need to lie flat for 2 hours. A normal diet can be resumed as soon as the child is hungry.