Pre-Preparation for Outpatient Prostatic Needle Biopsy

You have been scheduled for needle biopsy of the prostate. This will be done in our office and entails the passage of a skinny needle into the prostate gland in the area of the suspicious nodules. Ultrasound guidance may be used to help localize the areas of concern if they cannot be felt easily with the examining finger. The entire procedure should not take longer than 10 to 15 minutes. To make the process easier for us to accomplish and reduce the chances of infection we would like you to do the following things:

Clear liquids the day of the procedure.
A Fleets enema the morning of the visit is needed to clear stool from the rectum. Very important. Buy at any drug store.
Start the antibiotic prescription the day before the biopsy and continue the antibiotics the day of the biopsy until they are finished.
Come to the procedure with your bladder at least partially full of urine (at least one hour without voiding).
After the biopsy you will be able to go home. You should continue the antibiotics until all the pills have been taken.
You may experience the following problems after the biopsy:
- Bleeding from the rectum
- Blood in your urine
- Blood in your semen (never a serious problem but it may persist for a while)
- Burning, pain, or frequency of urination

Unless these symptoms persist for more than 24 hours you don't need to let us know. If you develop fever or chills or cannot urinate let us know immediately.

If you have questions about this preparation please ask us.
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