Prostate Biopsy: How To Prepare

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How To Prepare

Tell your doctor if you:

• Have had any bleeding problems.
• Are allergic to any medications, including anesthetics.
• Take any medications regularly. Be sure your doctor knows the names and doses of all your medications.
• Are taking any blood-thinning medications, such as warfarin (Coumadin), heparin, enoxaparin (Lovenox), aspirin, ibuprofen, or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

You will need to sign a consent form that says you understand the risks of a prostate biopsy and agree to have the biopsy done. Talk to your health professional about any concerns you have regarding the need for the biopsy, its risks, how it will be done, or what the results will indicate. To help you understand the importance of the biopsy, fill out the medical test information form (What is a PDF document?) .

If a prostate biopsy is done under local anesthesia through the area between the anus and scrotum (perineum), no other special preparation is needed.

If the biopsy is done through the rectum, you may need to have an enema before the biopsy.

If the biopsy is done under general anesthesia, do not eat or drink anything for 8 to 12 hours before the biopsy. During preparation for the biopsy, an intravenous line (IV) is inserted in your arm, and a sedative medication is given about an hour before the biopsy.

Last updated:	March 12, 2007
Author:	Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS
Reviewed By:	E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine, Avery L. Seifert, MD - Urology
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Tracy Landauer