MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia:Amniocentesis

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Amniocentesis - series: Procedure, part 1

Amniocentesis - series
Illustrations:

Indication

Procedure, part 1

Procedure, part 2

Results

Amniocentesis is done in an examination room, either with or without local anesthesia. It typically takes just a few minutes, during which you must lie very still. A technician locates your fetus with an ultrasound. Using the ultrasound for guidance, your doctor carefully inserts a long, but thin, hollow needle through your abdomen and into the amniotic sac. You should receive Rh immune globulin (RHIG) at the time of amniocentesis if you are an Rh-negative unsensitized patient.

Update Date: 2/19/2008

Updated by: Peter Chen, MD, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

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