Does periprostatic block reduce pain during transrectal prostate biopsy? A randomized, placebo-controlled,...

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Pain Management
• Medical Procedures

Background:

• Local anesthetic use for prostate biopsy is debated due to injection pain.
• Previous studies compared lidocaine to placebo in separate groups.
• This study is the first to compare both in the same patient.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of lidocaine periprostatic nerve blocks in reducing pain during transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy.
• To compare pain levels from lidocaine injection versus placebo injection and subsequent biopsy.

Main Methods:

• A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 50 patients.
• Lidocaine and placebo were injected on contralateral sides of the prostate.
• Pain was assessed using a visual analog scale (VAS) after injection and biopsy.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant difference in VAS scores between lidocaine and placebo sides post-biopsy (P=0.202).
• Pain from injection itself was similar for both lidocaine and placebo (P=0.546).
• 59.2% of patients reported no pain upon discharge.

Conclusions:

• Periprostatic nerve blocks with lidocaine do not significantly reduce pain during prostate biopsy.
• Pain from the injection procedure is comparable to the biopsy itself.
• Transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy is generally well-tolerated with minimal pain.