If you’re having problems with your prostate gland, your healthcare provider may advise a prostate biopsy. A biopsy is when a tiny piece of tissue is taken from a part of your body and looked at in a lab.
Prostate BiopsyIf you’re having problems with your prostate gland, your healthcare provider may advise a prostate biopsy. A biopsy is when a tiny piece of tissue is taken from a part of your body and looked at in a lab.What is the prostate?The prostate is a small gland that's part of the male reproductive system. It sits just below the bladder and in front of the rectum. The gland surrounds part of your urethra. This is the tube that carries urine from the bladder out of your body. During ejaculation, the prostate squeezes fluid into your urethra. This fluid is part of the liquid that makes up semen. It protects sperm. In young men, the prostate is about the size of a walnut. But it grows as you get older. This can lead to benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH. BPH is a common problem in older men. It can cause: trouble urinating, frequent urination, and leakage of urine.Why might I need a biopsy?You may need your prostate tested if: you have symptoms of BPH; your prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, was high on a blood test; your healthcare provider found a mass in your prostate during a rectal exam; or you have symptoms of prostate cancer, such as problems urinating, trouble having erections, or blood in urine or semen.Before the procedureTell your healthcare provider about all the medicines, vitamins, herbs, and supplements you take. This includes any over-the-counter medicines. Tell your provider if you have any allergies. Ask if there are any medicines you should stop taking before your procedure. You may be given antibiotics to take before and after the biopsy. This is to help reduce your risk for infection.You may be told to use an enema shortly before the biopsy to help clean out your rectum. This is done because the healthcare provider will use ultrasound imaging during the biopsy. Cleaning out the rectum allows for better images. It also may help lower the risk for infection.Your provider will explain what happens during the procedure, including any risks or possible complications. You'll be asked to sign a consent form, so your healthcare provider can do the procedure. Read the form carefully and ask questions if anything is not clear.What to expectA prostate biopsy may be done in your healthcare provider's office or in a surgery center. It takes only about 20 minutes.You may be given medicine to make you sleepy during the biopsy. Your healthcare provider will first look at your prostate with an ultrasound probe. The probe is about the width of a finger. It is put into your rectum. Ultrasound uses sound waves and a computer to create images on a video screen. Your healthcare provider will use it to choose areas in your prostate to biopsy.Before your provider takes the tissue samples, you may be given medicine to numb the area. Then, your healthcare provider will pass a spring-loaded biopsy device into your rectum next to the ultrasound probe. This is called a transrectal biopsy.The biopsy can also be done through the perineum, the skin between the scrotum and rectum. This is a transperineal biopsy.For either type of biopsy, the spring-loaded needle moves in and out of the prostate very quickly to take out a small piece of tissue. It does so several times to check for cancer in different parts of the prostate. The number of samples taken may vary.After the procedureYour healthcare provider will talk to you about what you can expect and how you might feel after the procedure. You may have pain and slight bleeding from your rectum or blood in your urine or semen.If your healthcare provider prescribes antibiotics, take them exactly as directed. Call your provider if you get a fever.After the biopsy, the tissue samples are sent to a lab. They are looked at under a microscope. It may take a few days for your biopsy results to come back. Ask your healthcare provider when you can expect them, how you will find out the results, and who will explain them to you.What we have learnedA prostate biopsy is done to check for benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH. True or false? The answer is "false". A prostate biopsy is done to check for prostate cancer.Before doing a biopsy, your healthcare provider will look at your prostate with an ultrasound probe. True or false? The answer is "true". The ultrasound probe will help your provider find areas in your prostate to be tested.
Date Last Reviewed: 10/31/2020
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