Transperineal Prostate Biopsy (285kB pdf)
Introduction
We hope this guide will answer your questions about Transperineal Prostate Biopsy and is aimed to provide some general information about what happens after your biopsy. Please contact the team if you require further information via the details at the end of this leaflet.
What is a Transperineal Prostate Biopsy?
A Transperineal Prostate Biopsy is the term used to describe the process of obtaining small samples of prostate tissue by passing a biopsy needle through your perineum
This technique is undertaken under local anaesthetic and is particularly beneficial for people who may not need or be suitable for a general anaesthetic, although for some patients this may be the best option for them.
What happens after my biopsy?
Once the procedure has been completed you will be allowed to recover in one of our recovery rooms. You will be offered some light refreshments such as tea or coffee, and once your clinical observations have been recorded and deemed to be stable, and you have passed urine, you will be able to leave the department.
Most patients will be ready to go home within 30-45 minutes following the procedure, but sometimes patients do need a little longer to recover and the healthcare team looking after you will monitor you and make sure you are ready to leave before discharging you.
What are the complications of transperineal prostate biopsy?
Some men feel a light headed after the procedure, and this is entirely normal. Should you feel lightheaded, we will ensure you are comfortable and laid on a bed until you recover.
This procedure can sometimes cause swelling of the prostate and we prefer that you stay in the department until we are sure you can pass urine normally. It is not uncommon for there to be some blood present in the urine following this procedure or even after you have left the department, so don’t be unduly alarmed. The nurse discharging you will talk you through the things to expect following the procedure and what to do once home.
Bleeding is a common side effect following this procedure and your urine may be pink, red or have some small clots visible and if present, should only last a day or two.
If your urine remains pink, red or has visible clots after this time you should contact your
GP for advice, or go to your local emergency department
It is also not uncommon to see blood in your sperm (haematospermia), and this could be red, pink or even coffee coloured, and can remain present for up to six weeks following your procedure. If you see blood after this time in your sperm then you should contact your GP for further advice.
Due to localised inflammation of your prostate as a result of the biopsies, some patients do find it difficult to pass urine, or even find that are unable to pass any urine
This can happen immediately after your procedure or up to 72 hours after and requires immediate medical attention as you may require the insertion of a temporary catheter into your bladder and therefore you should go straight to your local emergency department.
Although unlikely, infections can occur. You will be given antibiotics prior to commencing the procedure and some antibiotics to take home for the remainder of three days to help reduce the risk of developing an infection.
Should you develop an infection after the procedure you should contact your GP, your GP Out-of-Hours Service, or NHS Direct for further advice, or go to your local emergency department.
Is there anything I need to do after the biopsy?
There are a few things that you need to be aware of following a prostate biopsy;
- We recommend increasing your fluid intake following this procedure as this may help
alleviate some of these symptoms and help flush through any little clots or bleeding. No more than 1-1.5 litres of water based fluids per day in addition to your normal tea/ coffee intake. - For the next 3-4 days after your biopsy you should avoid any heavy lifting, strenuous exercise such as going to the gym, riding a bicycle, or anything that will increase your abdominal pressure, as this is likely to cause your prostate to bleed delaying the healing time
- You are advised to avoid fizzy drinks, caffeine or alcohol on the day of your biopsy as these can aggravate the urethra
- Results of your biopsy can take up to 4 weeks to be returned to your clinician, and the results then need to be discussed at the Multidisciplinary Team Meeting.
Following the Multidisciplinary Team Meeting, you will receive an appointment to discuss the results with your consultant. If however, you have not heard anything after 3-4 weeks please contact the booking office on 01279 827391 to chase up your appointment date.
Contacting the team
If you have any further questions, please contact the Urology Booking Team on:
Telephone – 01279 962391 or 01279 952807
Office hours: 09:00 to 16:00
There is an answerphone available outside of these hours. Please leave a message and a member of the team will contact you.
If you would like this leaflet in another language or format, or you would like to give feedback on your care, please contact our patient experience team on [email protected]