Study On Lidocaine Vs. Placebo Pain Control During Transrectal Ultrasound Guided Prostate Biopsy

Patients at risk for having prostate cancer usually undergo a biopsy of their prostate. This is most often done in the private urology office. Recent studies have suggested that injection of local anesthesia (lidocaine) near the nerves of the prostate will improve pain sensation during the biopsy procedure. Local anesthesia can be given through a separate needle through the rectal probe just prior to biopsy. However, many urologists to date perform their biopsies without anesthesia. Some claim that the needle used for anesthesia causes pain itself. Others claim that the pain is so minimal that the additional use of lidocaine (and extra time) is not necessary. We plan to reexamine the use of lidocaine and perform the first study where each patient will receive lidocaine and placebo on separate sides of their prostate.