1. Men's Screening Tests Slideshow
2. Women's Screening Tests Slideshow

Medical Author:

Troy M. Falck, MD

Coauthor:

Darilyn Campbell Falck, MD

Medical Editor:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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If the patient receives sedative medication, he or she will continue to feel drowsy for a while. After the local anesthetic wears off over the next few hours, the patient may have some discomfort at the biopsy site. The doctor will advise the patient about pain medication.

The patient should keep the bandage on for 48 hours, and then it should be removed.

The samples taken from the bone marrow will be sent to a laboratory and the pathologist for analysis. Several tests are done including looking at the bone marrow under a microscope. The results of these tests will usually be available in a few days. The doctor will give the patient instructions for follow-up.

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