How long do biopsy results take to come back

glitterIsland

How long do biopsy results take to come back. I am a public patient. My GP referred me to the hospital for tests. Waiting on biopsy results. Hospital said it may take 2 weeks.

SouthWesterly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058231974/how-long-do-biopsy-results-take-to-come-back

Looks like the hospital answered the question for you

byhookorbycrook

Replied on your other post about experiences re hearing back /having to chase up results. Biopsy results aren't as simple as dipping a pee specimen, they may need to be reviewed by a particular specialist who has experience in that particular area and sometimes will need to be reviewed by a number of specialists, to avoid mis-diagnosis or cases being missed.

glitterIsland

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118710666#Comment_118710666

The discharge paper I got from the hospital said two weeks. It's gone beyond that now. It's 6 weeks now and there's still nothing back. I rang the go and there's nothing from the hospital. I also got a disease as finding on the paper but there was no follow up since then.

Everything I found out since then about the condition that was identified from the scopes as been through Google and support groups. There wasn't one person that will take 5 minutes of their time to tell me the extent of the disease that's in me.

If I was an animal a vet will talk to my owner within a week but in peoples medicine results vanish and the rest is up to google.

Dempo1

Have to say 6 weeks is concerning , I felt the initial 2 weeks was ambitious given the possibility of a number of specialists needing to review results. On the plus side (if you can try be positive), if something serious was found, I'd have to assume someone would have reached out from the hospital and certainly your GP. Have you actually chased up your GP 🤔

I experienced delays on a MRI scan during the cyber attack , and whilst still some delays, I don't believe it delayed or affected Biopsy results.

glitterIsland

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118735378#Comment_118735378

I got onto the GP twice over the past 11 days. No biopsy results.

I think it's not sinister at this stage but it would be nice to be told. I would like to know what if anything shows up like inflammation or colitis in case it goes with the finding that was already identified.

glitterIsland

Does an outpatients appointment happen at some point after endoscopies or are the results given from the GP? I was never sick before. It's been weeks since my procedures took place and there has been no follow up. I had a list of findings on a page and one of them is a disease where my colon is in tatters but there wasn't anyone to tell me what it means going forward. Everything I know about the condition has been done through google and support groups. There wasn't one medical person to take 5 minutes of their time to discuss this with me.

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118738707#Comment_118738707

Specifically to your question, the results are sent to your GP (albeit in your case, it seems to be taking longer than I'd expect), GP on receipt of results , will discuss them . If nothing of concern is found that's generally it.

It very much depends on actual results . If there is something that requires treatment or monitoring, perhaps surgery then its likely will be assigned a consultant and assigned to their clinic for further ongoing outpatient appointments, more and more clinics operating remotely, by way of Telephone consultations.

I wondered would it be worth calling the hospital, see of you can find out what clinic, consultant oversaw your tests and speak to the secretary 🤔

Each on going appointment notice I get , lists the secretary and contact number of clinic I attend 🤔 might be worth a try , but as I've mentioned, I sense there's nothing to be alarmed about and perhaps there's just an admin delay.

Ger Roe

This delay and lack of contact is also something I experience across two ongoing health issues. I always... always... have to chase up for results. The mantra of, 'if it was serious we would get back to you' ... is not good enough. There have been many times where information has been lost.. or not passed on. With one of my conditions, the hospital gave me a log sheet for recording future test results... there are many gaps on that sheet where I could not get the test result details that the sheet lists - for various reasons ... including being asked why I need to know (I am the patient!), test samples being lost, or 'technical issues' and results not being passed on to my GP.

I have often gone to my GP to find that they have no notice of tests or prior hospital attends that I was told they would be made aware of. I keep a spreadsheet record myself with details of all hospital appointments, A&E and GP attends and many times when sitting in front of consultants for long awaited appointments, I have had to provide them with my medical history details because they didn't have my files, or they weren't up to date. I also attend my elderly mother's appointments and the same issues arise... frequently. I was once asked to go back out to reception and complain to them that the consultant didn't have my files ... when I did so, I was told they were stored off site to save space... no explanation was offered as to why they were not scheduled to be delivered to the outpatient clinic on the on the same day that I was going to be there - I had a year's notice of the appointment, but my records were not arranged to be there, in that time.

OP - ring up and get angry with them... it saves time in the long run as you will end up angry anyway if you don't. Chase up on everything... it's your health and no one cares about it as much as you do. The info distribution system is a shambles and you have to follow through in a timely manner to ensure it keeps moving in your direction.

Good luck.

glitterIsland

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118739633#Comment_118739633

It's getting ridiculous chasing up on the results now. I've been in touch twice with the GP surgery because I thought the results are going there. I presumed the GP would inform me.

If there's nothing of concern, why doesn't a GP simply email you just that? My GP emailed blood results to me before and that might as well be a foreign language to me. It really isn't fair to keep people waiting.

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118739739#Comment_118739739

Sorry you've had these experiences and I'll admit to having similar. I absolutely agree, it's time for a more vigorous approach and contacting hospital directly, I'd also consider emailing the patient services dept at the hospital.

My own , genuinely fantastic GP had to resort to a stern letter regarding conflicting MRI results I got a year ago, we tried everything, calls to the clinic, etc and with a condition getting worse , finally got a face to face end of this month, almost a year after MRI and literally two completely different diagnosis from the same Clinic consultant.

glitterIsland

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118739739#Comment_118739739

That's shocking treatment and it wouldn't instil much faith in the hospital system. I am sorry you are going through that and it's such a battle for you.

I never got a formal diagnosis. There was a condition written down on the discharge paper and that's all the information I ever got. I suspect it was that condition that flared last year and made me sick. I'm going to be prone to more sickness in the future now with this but there wasn't anyone to explain this condition to me and the potential implications and management of this condition. Everything that I found out about this has been through support groups. There wasn't one medical professional to tell me. It's very raw.

glitterIsland

I want to see the endoscopy report that was forwarded to my GP. Where do I ask for a copy of that report? Do I go to the GP or do I phone the hospital to ask for a copy of it?

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118739836#Comment_118739836

My honest impression is its not the GP at fault here and I'm going on my own experience. It is Not for the GP to ask for the results, it's for the Hospital to share them with your GP. Admittedly there was enormous delays last year re cyber attack.

In my own experience, my GP , within reason laid out how many times she had tried to chase up MRI scan results .

I'd personally now ,start chasing up the hospital and also email them.

Ger Roe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118739858#Comment_118739858

Keep pushing ....OP. The medical information distribution system was not operating correctly before covid, and it is certainly worse now. If you don't speak up and keep questioning... you don't get the attention that you require. Don't take 'no' or 'we'll get back to you' for an answer.... insist on timeframes and chase up when they are due.

When I started needing a more regular contact with health services over ten years ago, I signed a permission form for all my data to be shared across a new co-ordinated multi hospital and GP info distribution system - a one stop shop to stop paper being carried around everywhere.... it doesn't seem to have worked out very well, from my experience and the experiences of other people that I am familiar with.

glitterIsland

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118739916#Comment_118739916

I am withholding payment til I get the results. I am public patient so it's not much. It was an 80 euro charge. I will wait another week or two and see if s letter arrives in the mail from the hospital but I doubt that will happen.

I'm very disappointed with my experience. This is the first time being sick beyond the usual mild stuff like colds and the first time I needed something beyond the GP. My GP was very quick too. She was good. Myself and the pets get better treatment from the vet. The vet phones with results and she doesn't talk to me as if I am stupid or none nothing and she was always clear with information.

Dempo1

Whilst I appreciate your frustrations and know exactly how you feel , I'd honestly try remain constructive but firm , wait for nothing and get onto to the hospital first thing tomorrow or see if there's an email address specific to the hospital they are generally listed) and email today.

glitterIsland

Who's job is it to give me the biopsy results? Is it GPs job or is it the hospitals job? Do I get a letter from the hospital with a follow up appointment or what happens?

I was at the GP for another matter nearly 2 weeks ago and at that stage the endoscopy report was in and when I tried to get some information from that she described the results with one word - 'extensive'.

That's very raw for me. I was hardly told of the condition that I now find myself having.

The biopsy results still weren't in. I don't know where I goo from here.

The consultant never spoke to me afterwards about the findings. A nurse gave me a paper on my way to the waiting area. No body explained to me about the biopsies. Some people would probably freak with the word and automatically think of cancer. I put that to the back of my mind straight away and I thought it was probably just routine biopsies. I would still like to be informed of the results though. I heard of news recently of a girl I went to school with. She's battling a stage 4 cancer. It hit me then. I thought I was too young for a colon cancer but then that.