Anesthesia for a Prostate Biopsy

@soli
It comes down what is best for you. Never had biopsies without anesthesia (not deep) so can't comment on how I felt as never had any pain prior to, during, after but I had anesthsia.

For some the mental stress and anxiety of having biopsies done without anesthesia is a real concern for many. Working with your doctors (like I did) is important to some of us as having cancer itself is enough stress and anxiety without the worry and axiety of biopsies.

I agree with you 100% : it comes to what is best for you and it is important to avoid any anxiety related to biopsies.

It was the best 15 minutes of sleep I had since I had found out that I may have Prostate cancer. No issue at all. No pain afterwards. If your Doctor's approve it for you I would recommend taking it, especially since you said it was quicker than waiting for a clinic spot to open up. The anesthesia for a biopsy is very light, not like a surgery. I was told this by the anesthesiologist when I met him before the procedure. Good luck with everything.

@perrychristopher
Good post.
Exactly what my anesthesiologist told me. It is not the heavy anesthesia associated with deep or extensive surgery where they bring you way down.

I think but not sure they give you a pretty good relaxer and use propronol (spell?). I had the same type of anesthesia when they did my ICD/Pacemaker surgeries, colonoscopy, and my biopsies.

I have heart failure, off and on AFIB but not sustained, and a lot of PVCs. My anesthesiologist said no problem with past anesthesia and don't expect them now but I will be there monitoring so don't worry.

The stuff they use these days for these type procedures when you wake up there is not that heavy drowsiness with deep or extensive surgery which takes quite a while for it to wear off

I've had 3 biopsies. Two in the office and one in the hospital with anesthesia. I prefer the office since it is about 10 minutes and you're done. At the hospital, I arrived at 7 and left after 12:00. Have since had 5 sessions of SBRT.

I had local anesthesia, plus I insisted on intravenous antibiotics. Everything went easy-peeeeeezie, woke up, procedure completed, next day completely back to normal as if it never took place.

I may have been lucky with my biopsy at Mayo but the hype and resulting anxiety were much worse than the procedure. Dentist versus Biopsy about equivalent.

A biopsy in the office is no big deal for most people. About as traumatic as a haircut. That said, if you have immune system problems or get emotionally scarred with a dentist visit (far worse than a prostate biopsy) then being put to sleep for a push through the perineum may be the best option. I've had my biopsy done while I had AFib. I also had two sessions of HDR Brachy and a PF ablation. Despite all of my worry, each time I walked out of these procedures thinking it was silly of me too worry at all. 73M.

I've only had one biopsy session, in office and with only Lidocaine. Minimal discomfort, and the urologist chose to do a bladder scan simultaneously which I got to watch...pretty fascinating to see the inside of one's bladder. All the best for whichever procedure you choose.

I had my biopsy in the Dr’s office. It was the worst pain I ever experienced. And I have had 2 kidney stones in the past, stuck in my urethra. I swear he didn’t use any numbing agent !