Hi David,

Everyone is different so you won't know how you will respond until you have it. John's had two. The first time it was done under a local. The second,he was sedated. The biopsy where they take out a core sample was not painful for John but the aspiration of the marrow felt like a jolt of lightning shooting through his body.

After experiencing the first with just a local, he will never do another without sedation. That being said, it about 50 -50 where people do just fine with a local and others need sedation. If you are anxious about having it, ask for sedation.

He had no problems post biopsy other than some bruising. But he had very low platelets. I think it also depends on how good the person is who is doing the procedure.