A tap, or puncture, is a needle prick to take fluid or tissue for testing, or to drain extra fluid. At Oberig Clinic every chest and abdominal tap is done under ultrasound, and deep targets under CT. The doctor sees the needle on screen and steers it around blood vessels and organs. You get a local anesthetic. No cuts. Most procedures are outpatient. They are done by interventional radiologist Yurii Chyrkov, PhD, a senior-grade doctor who for over 20 years did about 800 ultrasound and CT-guided procedures a year.
Pleural tap (thoracentesis)
Fluid can build up between the lung and the chest wall. Causes include pleurisy, pneumonia, heart failure, tumors and injuries. You feel short of breath and heavy in the chest, and cannot take a deep breath. A pleural tap is both a test and a treatment. The fluid goes to the lab to find the cause, and draining it makes breathing easier. We remove no more than 1 to 1.5 liters at a time so the lung can re-expand slowly. If fluid keeps coming back, a drain goes in.
An ultrasound of the chest comes first. It shows how much fluid there is and the safest spot for the needle. More about causes and treatment on the pleurisy page.
Fluid in the belly: paracentesis
An abdominal tap for ascites (fluid in the belly) helps when the belly is large and tight and it is hard to breathe or eat. The most common causes are liver cirrhosis, heart failure and cancer, and the fluid itself often tells the doctor which one it is once the lab has looked at it. The fluid drains slowly through a needle in the front of the belly. Some goes to the lab. A tap also helps find the cause when it is unclear, or takes tissue from a mass in the abdomen.
Liver, kidney and lung biopsy
A hepatologist or gastroenterologist orders a liver biopsy to check the stage of scarring, find the cause of hepatitis or explain a mass. The needle goes in between the ribs on the right side, under local anesthetic. About 7 days before, you usually stop medicines that raise bleeding risk, and you have a clotting test. More on the liver biopsy page.
A kidney biopsy helps the nephrologist find out why there is protein or blood in the urine and choose treatment. It is also done under ultrasound. Quick and precise. Lung and chest center lumps are sampled through the chest wall under ultrasound or CT. This reaches spots a bronchoscope cannot.
How to prepare and what happens
- the doctor orders blood tests, including clotting, and goes over your medicines,
- an ultrasound picks the safest spot for the needle,
- the skin is cleaned and numbed with a local anesthetic,
- the doctor guides the needle on screen and takes fluid or tissue,
- a dressing goes on, and you rest for a while under observation.
Common questions
Does it hurt?
You feel the numbing shot. After that, pressure but no sharp pain. Most people handle it calmly.
How often can paracentesis be repeated?
As often as fluid builds up and your condition allows. Your doctor sets the schedule along with treatment of the cause.
When will the lab results be ready?
It depends on the test. The clinic's own lab and pathology center study the samples.
Prices and why Oberig Clinic
Paracentesis costs depend on whether ultrasound guidance is used. A pleural tap costs more when it is done under ultrasound with supplies included. Taps of masses come in two levels of complexity.
| Service | Price |
|---|
| Pleural tap, diagnostic and therapeutic | UAH 1,575 |
| Pleural tap under ultrasound (medicines and supplies included) | UAH 2,670 |
| Paracentesis under ultrasound (medicines and supplies not included) | UAH 3,800 |
| Paracentesis | UAH 4,585 |
| Chest mass tap, category 1 / 2 | UAH 3,340 / 5,515 |
| Abdominal mass tap, category 1 / 2 | UAH 3,780 / 5,515 |
| Liver biopsy, category 1 / 2 | UAH 3,890 / 6,285 |
| Kidney biopsy, category 1 / 2 | UAH 4,345 / 5,665 |
| Ultrasound-guided needle biopsy through the chest wall | UAH 2,475 |
Prices are from the clinic price list as of 01.10.2026. Mass taps and biopsies are listed without the kit, and fluid cytology is billed separately. Please check the current price with our contact center. Oberig Clinic brings together an experienced interventional radiologist, expert-class ultrasound, CT with navigation software, its own lab and pathology center, and a hospital ward if you need observation. Address: 3 Zoolohichna St, buildings "G" and "V", Kyiv. Book online at https://my.oberig.ua/ua/appointment/ or call +38 044 521 30 03.
