25 - Efficacy of Microfibrillar Collagen Tract Embolization in Liver Biopsies: A Single-Center Experience

Sunday, April 12, 2026

3:36 PM - 3:45 PM ET

Presenting Author(s)

AA

Arad Arasteh, BS

2nd Year Medical Student
UACOMP, United States

Author/Co-author(s)

GS

Gregory Sprout, MD

PGY-2 IR Resident
BUMCP, United States
AK

Annabel Kim, BS

2nd Year Medical Student
UACOMP, United States
KH

Kevin Hirsch, MD

Clinical Professor of Radiology - University of Arizona
Vascular and Interventional Partners, United States
SC

Steve Chen, MD

Clinical Professor
BUMCP, United States
DL

Douglas Lewis, MD

Assistant Clinical Professor - University of Arizona
Vascular & Interventional Partners, United States
CG

Christopher Goettl, MD, MBA

Associate Clinical Professor - University of Arizona
Vascular & Interventional Partners, United States
NM

Nikhil Mehta, MD

Clinical Professor
BUMCP, United States
Chijioke C. Iwuchukwu, MD.

IR Resident
Department of Interventional Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, Arizona., United States
Erik Yannone, MD

Resident Physician
Allegheny Health Network, United States
KZ

Kenneth Zurcher, MD

Resident
Mayo Clinic Arizona, United States

Purpose: To evaluate complication rates following percutaneous liver biopsy with routine microfibrillar collagen tract embolization and compare outcomes with published non-embolized cohorts.

Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 850 patients who underwent percutaneous liver biopsy with routine microfibrillar collagen tract embolization (Avitene®) at a tertiary academic center between August 2022 and July 2025. Of these, 695 patients met the inclusion criteria for non-targeted biopsy (excluding mass/metastatic indications). Demographic, clinical, laboratory, and procedural variables were collected. Outcomes included major bleeding, minor bleeding, emergency department (ED) visits within two weeks, CT-confirmed bleeding, and 30-day readmission. Continuous variables were summarized as median (IQR) and categorical variables as counts and percentages.

Results: Among 695 non-targeted biopsies, major bleeding occurred in 1 case (0.14%) and minor bleeding in 1 case (0.14%). Any bleeding complication was observed in 3 patients (0.43%). ED visits within two weeks occurred in 43/695 (6.2%), with CT-confirmed bleeding in 1/44 imaged patients (2.3%; 0.14% overall). Seventeen patients (2.4%) were readmitted within 30 days, with readmissions associated with lower hemoglobin, platelet count, and higher INR at baseline. Compared with published non-embolized cohorts reporting overall complication rates of 1.6–2.4%, major bleeding 0.4–1.4%, and minor bleeding up to 16.2% [1-3], our cohort demonstrated substantially lower rates.

Conclusion: Routine microfibrillar collagen tract embolization in percutaneous liver biopsy was associated with extremely low rates of major and minor bleeding, well below published benchmarks for non-embolized procedures. These findings support tract embolization as a safe and effective adjunct. Larger multicenter studies are warranted to validate its protective effect and further assess resource utilization related to ED visits.