How much pain is experienced during a prostate biopsy?
Pain may occur at two points during a prostate biopsy. First, at the time of probe insertion, men may experience discomfort from the stretch of the anal sphincter. In particular, men with hemorrhoids, anal fissure or rectal strictures may experience pain. This can be minimized by generous use of lubrication and lidocaine jelly, a local anesthetic. The second point is when the biopsy needles are directed into the prostate. Prior to the biopsy, a local anesthetic is administered around the prostate to numb these nerves providing the painful sensation. The anesthetic doesn’t remove sensation altogether, but rather removes the sensation of pain during the biopsy, much as in a dental procedure. While pain thresholds are very different for every man, prostate biopsy is extremely well tolerated by most men. On occasion, if an individual cannot tolerate probe placement, a biopsy can be rescheduled under general anesthesia or deep intravenous sedation. Because this is uncommon, at the Smilow Ce
