Renal biopsy

Renal biopsy is an important diagnostic tool in nephrology and transplantation. Improvement in the technique over recent years has led to successful tissue yield with reduced risk of bleeding, making percutaneous renal biopsy a safe procedure with better outcomes. Adequate tissue is obtained in >99% of cases. The main complication is bleeding, with a life-threatening complication rate of 0.1%. Nevertheless, it is vital to justify the need for a renal biopsy as it is not without risk, and this decision should be consultant-led.