Posted , 8 users are following.
my husband has been given to options for a prostate biopsy. One being awake just numb with an alter sound and the other doing an MRI and being put to sleep. Does anyone have any opinions either way? Also, after having a biopsy in the morning, will my husband feel OK later in the day. Is there any real pain involved after the biopsy? Thank you
0 likes, 14 replies
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gale10132 patty56475
Posted
If your insurance will pay for the sleep option - take it. That is the way I went and was thankful I did after talking to several other guys who told me it is rather uncomfortable to say the least.
patty56475 gale10132
Posted
thanks, Did any of your friends say they were in any pain after the biopsy?
gale10132 patty56475
Posted
I did not experience any pain. I do not know of anyone mentioning pain the day after a biopsy. You will experience a little blood in your urine for a couple of days but no big deal. Ok, I would do the biopsy asleep.
Supertractorman patty56475
Posted
Have had both as a day case and preferred being out for it, BUT I had Sepsis afterwards and never saw them giving me protective A/B's which they said they had given me. Previously without being knocked out I was given A/B's before and after. On the second occasion I was back to hospital next day with SEPSIS and everything was being shut down and I was given less than an hour to live after NHS24 did not recognise it, and now 5 years on still have flashbacks and continuing UTI's. No Prostate now so no further choices. Your choice but check about A/B's before.
Light1 patty56475
Posted
1st question is does he need a biopsy? There are risks. First I recommend K4 test and 3T MRI
patty56475 Light1
Posted
pirad 4 on mri so unfortunately he needs biopsy
Light1 patty56475
Posted
I found local anesthesia adequate. My first biopsy I had no anesthesia at all. It was pretty painful but not excruciating. Wishing you and your husband the best of luck.
charles61038 patty56475
Posted
I had a biopsy a few years ago to check for prostate cancer after my PSA went up to 5.6. The biopsy is the way to find out for sure, and if there are cancer cells present it can identify what kind and how aggressive it is. This will also give you the Gleason score. All this is necessary to either confirm if cancer is present, and if so, what treatments are available to you based on your Gleason score and cancer type. As for the biopsy, I was not given a choice of being awake or put under anesthesia - BUT I WAS given antibiotics before and for a while after the biopsy. This a important to help prevent any infection and to prevent sepsis. I was given a cream anesthetic to numb the area - but it is really uncomfortable anyway. If you have the option of being put under I would go for that. Being awake, it is tolerable, but it is no picnic. They took 12 samples from me. As for after the biopsy... I was uncomfortable sitting for a few days after. My doctor told me to take Tylenol for pain. .. which helped. I've read from other men who said after their biopsy they went out to play golf - and I find that hard to believe, but who knows? All I wanted to do was go home and lay down... and take Tylenol. My biopsy confirmed a non aggressive slow growing cancer - it was identified as adenocarcinoma. I was told it was treatable and I was given several options for treatment. I was even told I could opt for the 'wait and see' option. Get checked every few months to see any progression. I didn't like the fact of living with cancer if I could fight it and get rid of it, so I opted for treatment. I researched my options and decided on the Brachytherapy which is the low dose radiation seed implants. It's a one time treatment done as an outpatient. It took about 45 minutes. After you can pee for the nurses a couple of times, you can go home. It's been 3 years since I had that treatment and I am cancer free. PSA at last check was 0.1. I have no side effects left from the treatment. No incontinence, and no erectile dysfunction. After the biopsy, you can see what you need to do - and hopefully the biopsy will show no cancer cells. But it's better to be safe than wish you had found out about something that you could have treated and be done with. I wish you the best...
patty56475 charles61038
Posted
thank u so much for this info. my husband had MRi with pirad 4- hes had 2 opinions. 1 DOC SUGGESTS GOING TO sleep for biopsy- the other said stay awake and b numbed! one is a dr. with over 30 years exp, the other has about 20 yrs.!we are torn on which doc to go with.
barney34567 patty56475
Posted
I recommend what I underwent
general anesthesia
MRI guided biopsy (this targets the areas of concern with needles and doesn't fire them willy-nilly)
tranperineal not trans rectal biopsy (the former has a far lower risk for sepsis)
decide on who you may want to operate if need be and choose that person to do the biopsy
I had very mild discomfort the next day. No blood and no need for pain killers.
Best of luck!
patty56475
Posted
My husband has had 2 opinions. 1 surgeon recommends Transrectal US- prostate biopsy under anesthia
The other recommends Trus biopsy which I gathered is a US prostate biopsy but NOt under anesthiesia??
Its all so confusing and no idea which is best- but both appear to be transrectal
thx
barney34567 patty56475
Posted
I second what eric1962 wrote about MRI guided biopsy. I had that, took antibiotics for 3 days before it and had zero problems with pain, infection or complication from the biopsy.
Alas, the biopsy confirmed high grade PCa, but that's another story.
eric1962 patty56475
Posted
If you can find a center that does MRI-guided prostate biopsy, I would do that as the biopsy is more precise and often sedation is given. Pain is not bad after the biopsy but there is a risk of infection so need to make sure that antibiotics and enemas are administered before biopsy.
NoRegrets patty56475
Posted
Hi Patty,
I had the biopsy while awake. It was pretty quick and just uncomfortable. They numbed the area in the colon they would pierce, and the only place I felt it was on the tip of my penis - makes sense as that and the prostate are connected by nerves. I was up and walking immediately an no real side affects.
No Regrets