Written by Dr.Albana Greca Sejdini, Md, MMedSc

How long after a prostate biopsy should one be able to urinate?

QUESTION: How long after a prostate biopsy should one be able to urinate? Is it possible not to urinate for 1 month?



ANSWER: Hi,

There are several important factors that may cause urinary retention for several days after a prostate biopsy.

  • The first one is related to the age of the male patient,

    2- does he still have a catheter?

    3- what is the size of the Prostate gland before the biopsy.

    However, keep in mind that the urinary retention after a prostate biopsy is not a frequent condition.

    Why does the urinary retention happen after a prostate biopsy?

    As we all know, when someone's muscles are not able to move that fast as they become a little bit stiff.

    During the biopsy, it is estimated that the muscles of the urinary system are damaged, and the reaction of the organism is related to the constriction of these muscles.

    On the other hand, these constriction increases the rigidity of those muscles more and more. At this moment starts the urinary retention.

    This may last only few hours, or up to several days; but, not as long as one month. It is frequently observed in old people with Prostatic problems.

    With regards to the treatment, there exist several medications on
    the market, which are useful for the relaxation of those muscles and in that way are preventing the retention of urine.

    In cases of enlarged prostate, when the urine flow is normally stopped; after the biopsy, the gland tends to get larger.

    This is because, during the biopsy, a piece of the gland is removed, and this is associated with inflammation. However, the inflammation lasts not more than 2-3 days, but it may cause urinary retention too.

    In case the patient is not able to urinate for more than 2-3 days, then, the problem is somewhere else.

  • The catheterization may cause retention of urine because it leads to total relaxation of the muscles of the urinary system.

    When the catheter is removed, the organism feel that something is wrong and it responds with a constriction of those muscles, and the result is urinary retention.

    Normally, you should start urinating by yourself, with no self catheterization after a 2 or 3 days. If the problem persists for longer, then, most of the doctors prescribe self catheterization for a week.

    After a week of self catheterization, you have to be able to urinate normally. Of course, sometimes, this does not happen due to other factors causing the urinary retention. Therefore, the doctor will closely observe this condition for further evaluation.

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