Your general doctor or practitioner may refer you for evaluation and biopsy of tissue from within your mouth, jaws, or on your face and lips, and can be hard or soft tissue.
Sometimes it is impossible to diagnose a lesion from a clinical exam only. For this reason, tissue is removed from the body for examination under a microscope by a pathologist. It takes approximately one to two weeks, depending on the specimen, to have a diagnosis returned.
Biopsies are usually performed in an office setting. Occasionally, depending on the location and size of the lesion, it may be necessary to administer general anesthesia to the patient during the procedure. If this is the case, your initial appointment will be a consultation to discuss the procedure. The biopsy can take anywhere from 30 seconds to 45 minutes, depending on the location and size of the lesion, and the recovery time varies from immediate recovery to four or five days, also depending on location and size.
When Dr. Hornaday receives the results of your biopsy, he will personally call to inform you. No information will left on a answering machine for privacy purposes.
If you have questions regarding the biopsy process, or if you wish to set up a consultation, please call our office at (765) 289-9705, and we will more than happy to assist you.
