Lab Test

Surgical Specimen, Routine

Routine surgical specimen, Tissue specimen, Surgical tissue

Test Codes

EPIC: LAB6798, APS

Department

Histology

Instructions

This test does not include muscle biopsies, kidney biopsies, fresh tissue specimens and anything requiring Cytogenetic testing or Flow Cytometry.

Specimen Collection Criteria

Collect: Routine Surgical Specimen (requiring no special studies, i.e. fresh lymph nodes for lymphoma workup, muscle biopsies, kidney biopsies, acetylcholinestesrase (ACE) study and Cytogenetic studies) must be placed in a collection container with 15-20 times its volume of 10% Neutral Buffered Formalin.

  • The container with solution must be identified with a 10% Neutral Buffered Formalin sticker. This is an OSHA requirement.
  • The specimen container must be labeled properly with the patient's full name (first and last), date of birth, hospital number including visit, and specimen source, including identifiers such as right, left, upper, lower, etc.
  • For Paper Requisition-Based Ordering (Non-electronic Medical Record): Fill out and submit specimens via Beaumont Surgical Pathology/Histology requisitions.
  • For Electronic Ordering with Generation of a Paper Requisition: In EPIC order entry, select test "LAB6798 SURGICAL PATHOLOGY TISSUE" and complete the required prompts.
    • There is the option for up to 12 specimen sources within a single order. Only the first specimen (A) is required (specimens B through L are optional).
    • DO NOT include Cytology/FNA requests.
    • Specify any special requests as additional studies in the "Additional Comments" section.
    • Include the ICD-10 diagnosis to the specimen.
    • Generate an EMR order requisition for the Laboratory.
  • Each specimen must be accompanied by a Beaumont Laboratory Form, Progress Notes Operative Form, or Anatomic Pathology Form, including patient's full name, date of birth, patient's social security number (only last 4 of SSN), hospital number including visit number, surgeon and/or clinician name, specimen source including identifiers and pre-op diagnosis.

Physician Office/Draw Specimen Preparation

Maintain specimen at room temperature (20-26°C or 68-78.8°F) in a container with 10% Neutral Buffered Formalin, as described above, until transport.

Preparation for Courier Transport

Transport: Surgical specimen prepared as described above, at room temperature (20-26°C or 68-78.8°F).

Rejection Criteria

  • Any missing information will delay processing and final diagnosis.

Inpatient Specimen Preparation

  • Farmington Hills: Specimens are picked up by the Surgical Pathology staff throughout the day from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm, Monday – Friday. 

  • Grosse Pointe: Specimens are picked up by the Surgical Pathology staff throughout the day, until 3:45 pm (Monday – Friday).
  • Royal Oak:
    • Specimens are picked up Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 7:00 pm, and Saturday, 8:00 am – 10:00 am. Saturday runs are to 2nd Floor Surgery and Endoscopy only.
    • If outside scheduled run hours, specimens must be delivered to Surgical Pathology or it will be picked up the following working day. Surgical Pathology specimens should never be sent via the pneumatic tube system. These specimen types are irretrievable.
    • Do not leave any fresh specimens on the counter. Hand directly to a Surgical Pathology assistant or call the on-call pathologist.
  • Troy: Specimens are picked up by the Surgical Pathology staff throughout the day (from approximately 6:00 am – 5:00 pm, Monday – Friday). 
  • Dearborn: Specimens are picked up Monday – Friday, between the hours of 8:00 am – 4:00 pm and Saturday from 9:00 am – 11:00 am. DO NOT SEND SPECIMENS THROUGH THE PNEUMATIC TUBE SYSTEM. 
    Specimens delivered to the histology department must be handed to histology personnel and logged into the biopsy log book. Never leave fresh specimens sitting on the counter.
  • Taylor: Specimens are picked up by the Surgical Pathology staff throughout the day, until 1:30 pm (Monday – Friday).
  • Trenton: Specimens are picked up by the Surgical Pathology staff throughout the day, until 1:30 pm (Monday – Friday).
  • Wayne: Specimens are picked up by the Surgical Pathology staff throughout the day, until 1:30 pm (Monday – Friday). 

In-Lab Processing

Gross dictation, tissue processing and microtomy are performed routinely. If necessary, special procedures are ordered by the pathologist, including but not limited to: special stains, immunohistochemistry and ER/PR studies.

Storage

Specimen Stability for Testing:

Fresh specimens (without fixative) must be refrigerated and delivered to Surgical Pathology immediately. Specimens are processed immediately upon receipt in the Laboratory.

Specimen Storage in Department Prior to Disposal:

All specimens should be stored in 10% Neutral Buffered Formalin.

Laboratory

Farmington Hills Anatomic Pathology Department
Grosse Pointe Surgical Pathology/Histology Laboratory
Royal Oak Surgical Pathology/Histology Laboratory
Troy Surgical Pathology/Histology Laboratory
Dearborn Surgical Pathology/Histology Laboratory
Taylor Surgical Pathology/Histology Laboratory
Trenton Surgical Pathology/Histology Laboratory
Wayne Surgical Pathology/Histology Laboratory 

Performed

Farmington Hills
Monday – Friday: 7:00 am – 4:30 pm. Results available within 2 business days unless special testing is required.

Grosse Pointe
Monday – Friday: 8:30 am – 5:00 pm. Results available within 24-36 hours of receiving, unless special testing is required.

Royal Oak
Monday – Saturday: 6:00 am – 3:00 pm. Results usually available within 1-3 business days unless special testing is required.

Troy
Monday – Friday: 6:00 am – 4:30 pm Results available within 2 business days unless special testing is required.

Dearborn
Monday – Friday: 8:00 am – 4:30 pm
Results available within 2-3 business days unless special testing is required. 

Taylor
Monday – Friday: 7:00 am – 2:00 pm
Results available within 2-3 business days unless special testing is required. 

Trenton
Monday – Friday: 7:00 am – 2:00 pm
Results available within 2-3 business days unless special testing is required. 

Wayne
Monday – Friday: 7:00 am – 2:00 pm
Results available within 2-3 business days unless special testing is required.  

Test Methodology

Routine Processing: Hematoxylin and Eosin stained slides; special staining procedures as needed.

Interpretation

Diagnosis performed by pathologists board certified in anatomic pathology.

Contacts

Last Updated

3/11/2021

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