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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Prostate Cancer / May 2005What's biopsy like?
I am having a biopsy done in a couple of weeks and would like to get some idea as to what the procedure will be like. I have had a couple of colonoscopies done so I am familiar with the general idea. But how much pain or discomfort will I experience? I know I'll be under sedation. How quickly will I recover after the procedure? I am having a bad omen about this. I just moved my office and everyone in the office have had something bad happened (flu, traffic accident, back problem, parent's health problem). I know it's irrational, but I have a bad feeling nonetheless. > I am having a biopsy done in a couple of weeks and would like to get > some idea as to what the procedure will be like. I have had a couple > of colonoscopies done so I am familiar with the general idea. But how > much pain or discomfort will I experience? I know I'll be under > sedation. How quickly will I recover after the procedure? The great majority of men who have biopsies find it unpleasant but not specially painful. Mine was like a typical dental procedure. It is easier on you if your doctor first injects an anesthetic, much as drilling is easier if your dentist gives you some novocaine. Biopsies are not usually done under sedation. A colonoscopy is actually a much more intrusive procedure. It would be impossible to do a colonoscopy with the patient not under sedation. Usually you are given an antibiotic to take for a day or two to prevent infection. Afterwards you may have some blood in your urine for a few days, and you probably will have blood in your semen for up to six weeks. The blood in the semen is of no consequence and should not be a medical problem for a sexual partner. Usually you are advised to avoid sex for about a week after the biopsy. It is possible if you have hemmorhoids that the procedure will cause them to act up. If so, your doctor can prescribe a suppository to deal with the problem. Other than that, you shouldn't have any pain afterwards. Make sure your doctor tells you what to do before and after the procedure. > I am having a bad omen about this. I just moved my office and everyone > in the office have had something bad happened (flu, traffic accident, > back problem, parent's health problem). I know it's irrational, but I > have a bad feeling nonetheless. Well the chances are that you don't have prostate cancer, but it is certaintly possible you do. If so, since it was caught it early, there is an excellent chance that it can be cured entirely. You might go to alt.support.cancer.prostate for more information. Good luck! I had a biopsy under sedation(went to sleep) and very recently had a colonoscopy under sedation(went to sleep). Was much the same as each other. In my case the colonoscopy after effects were worse than the biopsy. If you are having sedation and going to sleep there's nothing to it. Having had the colonoscopy you should be at ease because it's no different from your perspective. >> I am having a biopsy done in a couple of weeks and would like to get >> some idea as to what the procedure will be like. I have had a couple [quoted text clipped - 36 lines] > > Good luck! >> I am having a biopsy done in a couple of weeks and would like to get >> some idea as to what the procedure will be like. I have had a couple [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > much more intrusive procedure. It would be impossible to do a colonoscopy > with the patient not under sedation. I have read of patients who refuse sedation for a colonscopy so they are able to drive home. As for the biopsy, a close friend just had one and by the 12th puncture he was in significant pain and very, very unhappy. >>>I am having a biopsy done in a couple of weeks and would like to get >>>some idea as to what the procedure will be like. I have had a couple [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > able to drive home. As for the biopsy, a close friend just had one and by > the 12th puncture he was in significant pain and very, very unhappy. There are certainly men who have significant pain during a biopsy, but, from all the reports I've seen, they are a relatively small minority. If the doctor uses an anesthetic, the likelihood of significant pain is a lot smaller. My doctor used an anesthetic. The initial probes were no problem, but by the time he got to the 12th, I was happy he was finishing. I think I would have requested a pause to rest if he had been going for more. It wasn't the pain, but the jolts from the spring loaded probes were wearing. As I said previously, the whole experience was not much worse than my usual dental cleanings in which the technician probes my dental pockets. It certainly wasn't as bad as having a tooth pulled or periodontal surgery. Anyone who thinks he may find it very painful should request sedation. > My doctor used an anesthetic. The initial probes were no problem, but > by the time he got to the 12th, I was happy he was finishing. I think I > would have requested a pause to rest if he had been going for more. It > wasn't the pain, but the jolts from the spring loaded probes were > wearing. Mine didn't but only took six cores. Only one, the third one, caused me any real discomfort and I would stop short of calling it pain. As you say the worst of it was the jolt from the spring; that and listening to him cock the damn thing and then ask with genuine concern if I was ready for him to take another sample. Told him afterwards that since all he needed was my a.s on the table and I didn't have to twist and turn so he could place the instrument, if it came down to doing this again, I was bringing a book on tape and headphones and he could just take the headphones off me when he was done and I could leave. Truly, the noise was the the most wearing part of the experience. > As I said previously, the whole experience was not much worse > than my usual dental cleanings in which the technician probes my dental > pockets. It certainly wasn't as bad as having a tooth pulled or > periodontal surgery. > > Anyone who thinks he may find it very painful should request sedation. Well, that would probably be EVERYONE, Leonard but, as you say, most probably can do quite well without it. As always, in the majority of cases, anticipation is worse than realization. On 5/13/05 6:32 AM, in article Ye0he.25$M36.7@newsread1.news.atl.earthlink.net, "george conklin" <george@nxu.edu> wrote: >>> I am having a biopsy done in a couple of weeks and would like to get >>> some idea as to what the procedure will be like. I have had a couple [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > able to drive home. As for the biopsy, a close friend just had one and by > the 12th puncture he was in significant pain and very, very unhappy. Most people do well. By about biopsy number 10, I think most patients are ready to have it over. You can do a block of the prostate, but for many people this can hurt worse than just doing the biopsy. Lido jelly can help. If you are going to do many more than 15 cores (most people do not), the the block is nice or a little IV sedation. About 95% of people do just fine. The other 5% for what ever reason just would never do it again without IV meds. ME I was given a needle which put me out to it for the time needed, about 30 minutes, and knew nothing about it. Way to go. > On 5/13/05 6:32 AM, in article > Ye0he.25$M36.7@newsread1.news.atl.earthlink.net, "george conklin" [quoted text clipped - 36 lines] > > ME I had my biopsy in October 2004, and it wasn't a problem. I had a local anasthetic. It was uncomfortable, and I was counting the samples until the end. I had finally gone a couple of years without significant hemmorhoid problems. The biopsy changed that. Now prostate is out, my PSA is 0, I can pee the best in 10 years, but my hemmorhoids are still a problem. I'm happy though - hemmorhoids are better than cancer. Ben >> I am having a biopsy done in a couple of weeks and would like to get >> some idea as to what the procedure will be like. I have had a couple [quoted text clipped - 36 lines] > > Good luck! > It is possible if you have hemmorhoids that the procedure will cause them > to act up. If so, your doctor can prescribe a suppository to deal with > the problem. Other than that, you shouldn't have any pain afterwards. True - my haemorrhoids objected strongly, but only after I got home. They went back to sleep after a few days. My 2nd biopsy,(ambiguous result on 1st) I told the doc about the previous after-effect,and he promised to be more careful! He was, in that respect, but about 20 mins after leaving the hospital building, waiting for wife to collect me, I came over light-headed, briefly fainted on the pavement (just as wife drove up!) and was taken back inside, vomiting into carrier bag. The doc checked me over (BP, etc..) and thought I had suffered post-traumatic shock and should have had a cup of sweet tea before I left, which would have prevented this. Instead I'd had a can of 'Coke'! Subject for medical research?? Incidentally,the biopsies were relatively easy to withstand. No sedative. etc.. Rather like a series of small electric shocks or elastic band 'flicks'. Antibiotic suppositories. Slight bleeding in urine for about 5 days. Envo I had biopsy 8 "slaps" without sedation, I was very uncomfortable during the procedure, about 12 - 15 minutes and then 10 minutes more to recover. You probably will have blood in the urine and brown semen for up to 30 days after the bio. The most important issue is and I hope that you get negative results, the rest is kids' stuff >I am having a biopsy done in a couple of weeks and would like to get >some idea as to what the procedure will be like. I have had a couple [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >back problem, parent's health problem). I know it's irrational, but I >have a bad feeling nonetheless. Had mine in 1993 so things could well have changed. There was a mild discomfort and sting when each sample was taken. Do not recall being sedated at the time and drove home afterward a bit tender but did not impair my normal activities. Hope things go well. Bill Houdek bhoudek@swbell.net >I am having a biopsy done in a couple of weeks and would like to get > some idea as to what the procedure will be like. I have had a couple [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > back problem, parent's health problem). I know it's irrational, but I > have a bad feeling nonetheless. >I am having a biopsy done in a couple of weeks and would like to get >some idea as to what the procedure will be like. I have had a couple [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >back problem, parent's health problem). I know it's irrational, but I >have a bad feeling nonetheless. The biopsy is uncomfortable but not really very painful. Essentially they are going to shove a probe up your a.s, then punch about 12 holes through your bowel wall and extract meat samples from your prostate. Doesn't sound like much fun but PCa is pretty much curable if caught early so you do what you have to do. I've had two in the last year. Once they get started it's less than 10 minutes. For the second I had my Walkman and a Rolling Stones tape. Told the doc to tell me when they were done. Mick and the boys got me through the Nam and they got me through the biopsy. |
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