title: Total prostatectomy within 6 weeks of a prostate biopsy: is it safe?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Many urologists recommend a six-week time interval between a prostate biopsy and a total prostatectomy (TP) to allow the biopsy induced inflammation to subside. Our aim was to assess whether the time interval between prostate biopsy and TP has an impact on the surgical outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis was performed on data from patients who underwent a TP by a single surgeon from 1992 to 2008. The patients were divided into two groups according to the time interval between biopsy and TP, Group 1 < or = 6 weeks and Group 2 > 6 weeks. Relevant perioperative variables and outcome were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  923 patients were included. There was a significant difference between the two groups in the surgeons' ability to perform a bilateral nerve sparing procedure. Those who had a TP within six weeks of the biopsy were less likely to have a bilateral nerve sparing procedure. No significant difference was noted in the other variables, which included Gleason score, surgical margin status, estimated blood loss, post-operative infection, incontinence, erectile function, and biochemical recurrence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TP can be safely performed without any increase in complications within 6 weeks of a prostate biopsy. However, a TP within six weeks of a biopsy significantly reduced the surgeon's perception of whether a bilateral nerve sparing procedure was performed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: Kishore T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Adiyat
authors.forename: Manoharan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Murugesan
authors.forename: Devendar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Katkoori
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eldefrawy
authors.forename: Mark S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Soloway
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011467:Prostate / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000209:etiology