My doctor prescribes me to take a prostate exam to an urologist, what should I expect?

[PierreP]

During my last blood test my doctor saw an overly high parameter and say that it is because of my prostate. He asked me if I have urinary problems and I have absolutely nothing and he sends me to a urologist as a precaution, I have not yet had the date of the appointment but I stress a little. I don't know much but I see that this organ is just under the penis and I stress a little for the exam. I also see that it is part of my reproductive system, the prostate therefore also has a role with ejaculation and semen?

[OlderAndWiser]

If your PSA doubles over the span of a year, it signals a rapidly increasing prostate. That may be the result of prostate cancer or more commonly it is the result of benign prostatic hypertrophy.

A urologist will do a more specific PSA blood test. He will do an examination by putting on a glove, applying lube to his finger, sticking that in your anus up to about the second knuckle, and palpating the prostate. Don't be surprised if you have a small amount of precum form on the tip of your penis when this happens. And, no, it does not mean that you are secretly gay. It is a purely physical reaction to pressure on the prostate. Depending on the PSA level and your family history (susceptibility to prostate cancer seems to be a family trait for many guys,) your doctor may also do an ultrasound exam of the prostate. This consists of inserting a probe (with lube) about two inches into your anus and then recording ultrasound images of the prostate. This gives a more accurate indication of the size of the prostate and whether there are changes in the prostate density which could indicate prostate cancer.

If the foregoing procedures do not give a sufficiently definitive answer to the question, your physician may schedule you for a prostate biopsy. This is a procedure done in a hospital or ambulatory surgery center under general anesthesia. Once you are out, the doctor will use the ultrasound to locate areas of suspicion, insert a needle through the perianus, and collect tissue specimens which will be examined by a pathologist for a definitive diagnosis. It sounds painful bt when you awaken, you will probably not feel anything but you will be groggy for a few hours/a day.

In all likelihood, you have benign prostatic hypertrophy and not prostate cancer. BPH can occur as a result of an infection but it can be idiopathic (no cause determined.) It is usually treatment with a medication - finasteride - which is available in generic form, very inexpensive, and a very small pill. It will disqualify you from being a blood donor. It is unlikely that you will experience any side effects from finasteride, but it will either halt or substantially slow down the enlargement of your prostate.

I hope this helps you to understand what lies ahead for you. I am not a physician so please do not blindly rely on what I have said but do review all of this with your urologist.

[exitseven]

I could not have said this any better myself.

[PierreP]

Thank you very much for this very detailed information. Obviously it's scary but you are very reassuring. For PSA (as you say) I don't have the exact result but my family doctor seemed to say that it was a fairly strong increase but what is weird is that I don't feel anything, I would be supposed to have difficulty urinating if I had a problem but I have absolutely nothing... I cross my fingers and I hope it will be limited to the exam with the finger.

I also wondered what does the prostate in my body, they say a gland of the reproductive system but it seems to be able to just cause urinary problems. You speak to me that the precum can flow so it is from this gland that comes the clear liquid that comes out just before ejaculation, right?

[OlderAndWiser]

"The prostate produces a fluid that mixes with sperm from the testicles to make semen. This fluid is stored in 2 tube-shaped glands called the seminal vesicles. They are found just behind the bladder. During sex, the muscle tissue helps force (ejaculate) prostate fluid and sperm into the urethra."

www.macmillan.org.uk/.../the-prostate

[PierreP]

OK thanks! So it's more than I thought and it plays a direct role in ejaculation. My doctor did not ask me for questions about that but I did not notice any problem with my ejaculations either, no change, no pain, no blood... We will see with the exams of urologist, I cross my finger

[OlderAndWiser]

Good luck!

[PierreP]

I finally passed my exams at the urologist, the rectal exam is really not long and I had to have an ultrasound, which was not long too. But there it gets complicated, it seems to have seen a lesion and I will have to pass a biopsy

[exitseven]

He will do another book test and give your prostate a good exam. It will not be too bad

[PierreP]

What are the other tests? Do you have problems with your prostate you too?

[exitseven]

Blood test. My doctor ran a PSA test and it was a little elevated. It was still well within normal levels but he was alarmed by the sudden spike. I went to a urologist and he ran a more accurate blood test and then he put on the rubber glove and did a thorough poking around and decided I was okay

[PierreP]

Ok is it a bit like me, an increase in PSA? But not nothing that has changed. I hope it will not be more than that lol. And he does not insert and don't touch the penis?

[exitseven]

He might just look at it but no needles. Rhe finger up the butt is uncomfortable but it will all be over in a minute

[PierreP]

I better like not to think about it but I tell myself that lots of man must pass it. He touches with his finger and if he feels a bump on my prostate he will say it right away

[exitseven]

Look, last year I had a scope about the size of a bic pen inserted in my penis, the doc did this while I was wide awake. It took a long time to get it in too. It was a horror show but I had to get it done. Don't be a wussie about this. Go to the doc, get this done and go on to the next task.

[exitseven]

Thanks for the MHO😎

[PierreP]

I finally passed my exams at the urologist, the rectal exam is really not long and I had to have an ultrasound, which was not long too. But there it gets complicated, it seems to have seen a lesion and I will have to pass a biopsy

[exitseven]

well, that sucks but it is probably nothing to worry about. It will be over in a few minutes. It is good that the technology exists today to do these kinds of things. In the old days they would let it develop until you have some incurable disease.

[PierreP]

This is very exact what you say, at least I will be checked very early. It is terrible to think that I probably have prostate cancer and that I absolutely feel nothing but for the moment I try not to think about it

[exitseven]

You probably don't have cancer. If you do it is extremely treatable if you get it early

[PierreP]

If there is cancer, the urologist said it is very small and at least I encourage myself with that

[In_Trance]

You should expect a guy with grease on his fingers to be tickling your hoop.

[Drumlin2001]

It's just a finger up the bum. No big deal

[PierreP]

Does it last a long time?

[Drumlin2001]

Don't have personal experience, but less than a minute.

[Anonymous]

Do the test

[PierreP]

Yes I will visit the urologist, I'm afraid of having prostate cancer

[Opinion Owner]

I’ll pray for you my friend

[PierreP]

Thanks! No symptom but we never know

[Opinion Owner]

You’re welcome