My Urologist gave me a pamphlet explaining the Prostate Biopsy procedure, so I figured that it would be easier just to put the whole pamphlet into my blog entry.
Additional information and clarification of the ins and outs of this procedure are as follows:
You can eat a light breakfast or lunch before and after the procedure.
You will need to use a Fleet enema a couple of hours before the procedure.
Antibiotics will most likely be prescribed to you and should be taken from a day or two prior to the procedure through a day or two after the procedure.
My Urologist does not prescribe anything before the procedure to relax you nor will he give me anything like the type of anesthesia that I had for my colonoscopy. I was given something intravenously that for the most part allowed me to sleep through that procedure and I could not remember a thing when it was over with.
My Urologist is willing to do general anesthesia but I would have to be in the hospital to have that done and he felt that there was no need for me to do that.
My Urologist does not prescribe anything for pain after the procedure either. He told me that whatever pain and discomfort that I might have after the procedure, should normally only last a couple of days. Each person is different as to the lingering effects of the procedure and each Urologist is different as far as what medication is given. There are some Urologist out there that might be willing to put you close to a general anesthesia..what I would call conscious sedation but you will have to go searching for these doctors
Luckily I have some leftover relaxation pills and some leftover pain medication from previous assorted medical issues, that I should be all set should I need any of them.
The only other thing that I should mention is that the probe that is inserted approximately 4 inches into the rectum has the capacity to deliver the local anesthesia where it is needed and that the probe takes 12 samples via small biopsy needles.
6 samples are taken on each side of the prostate and they are usually taken where prostate cancer is most likely found on the prostate, if there is any cancer there.
Unfortunately because the biopsy samples are only taken from a rather small portion of the prostate compared to the overall size of the prostate, that there is always a chance that the biopsy needles could totally miss a cancerous area, if there is one on the prostate.
This whole type procedure is not an exact science to say the least but unfortunately it is the best that is available at this time.
Here is the pamphlet. You can click on the picture to get it larger for easier reading:
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