Medical Health Tests >>  Articles >>  Biopsy

Prostate Biopsy Side Effects



 Submitted by Medical Health Test Team on August 4, 2010
Prostate Biopsy Side Effects

The prostate gland is located in the pelvic area of the human body. It is an important gland related to the functioning of the male reproductive system. It is located at the beginning of the urethra. The prostate gland has two major functions associated with the male reproductive system. A part of the gland is made up of smooth muscle that helps during the process of ejaculation by providing extra pressure. The gland also produces an alkaline fluid which is essential for the process of reproduction. The female reproductive tract is acidic in nature. This means that nearly all the sperm that enter the tract would be killed. The alkaline fluid that is released by the prostate helps to neutralize the acidity of the woman’s reproductive system, thus increasing the survival chances of the sperm as the sperm head towards the fallopian tubes for reproduction.

Cancer is a critical medical condition that affects millions of people across the world. A person suffering from cancer usually develops a tumor mass in the area where the cancer cells are growing. This area is used to name the cancer itself. Prostate cancer is a common form of cancer affecting men across the world. It usually causes the level of the Prostate Specific Antigen to rise in the body. The detection of an elevated level of PSA is likely to make a prostate biopsy mandatory.
A biopsy is a diagnostic procedure used for cancer detection. It is an invasive procedure where tissue samples from the affected organs are collected either using a biopsy needle or using an open surgery. The tissue collected during a biopsy procedure are subjected to chemical and physical tests to determine whether there are any abnormal cells and whether these abnormal cells are malignant (cancerous) or benign (non cancerous)

A prostate biopsy is conducted on an outpatient basis in most cases. The rectum is the preferred use for access. The area of needle insertion is anesthetized to avoid pain to the patient. There are usually no side effects from the procedure. Mild pain or discomfort may be felt around the gland as well as around the incision site. Apart from this there should be no problem at all. Antibiotics are usually prescribed to prevent the wound from becoming infected. Patients may experience mild nausea because of the antibiotics. The patient could return home immediately after a prostate biopsy procedure unless general anesthesia has been used, in which case the patient is likely to need a few hours to recover.

Read more articles from the Biopsy Category.
Related Topics
Related Questions
Search

Today's
Poll

Does Gait analysis help in Physical therapy?
MedicalHealthTests© Copyright 2011. All Rights Reserved.