Testicular Biopsy

Biopsy, Testicular

How To Prepare

Before having a testicular biopsy, be sure to tell your doctor if you:

• Have had any bleeding problems.
• Are allergic to any medications, including anesthetics.
• Take any medications regularly. Be sure your doctor knows the names and doses of all your medications.
• Are taking any blood-thinning medications, such as warfarin (Coumadin), heparin, enoxaparin (Lovenox), ASA, ibuprofen, or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

You may need to sign a consent form that says you understand the risks of a testicular biopsy and agree to have the biopsy. Talk to your health professional about any concerns you have regarding the need for the biopsy, any alternative methods for the biopsy, its risks, how it will be done, or what the results will indicate. To help you understand the importance of the biopsy, fill out the medical test information form(What is a PDF document?).

If a testicular biopsy is done under local anesthesia, no other special preparation is needed.

If the biopsy is done under general anesthesia, do not eat or drink anything for 8 to 12 hours before the biopsy. During preparation for the biopsy, an intravenous line (IV) is inserted in your arm, and a sedative medication is given about an hour before the biopsy.

Go to previous section	Go to top of page	Go to next section
Author:	Douglas Dana Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS	Last Updated: April 17, 2007
Medical Review:	Martin Gabica, MD - Family Medicine Avery L. Seifert, MD - Urology Andrew Swan, MD, CCFP, FCFP - Family Medicine
© 1995-2008 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.