Dr. Megan E. Lerner, MD

Although biopsy is most often associated with cancer, it can also be used to check for other diseases, such as infections. A biopsy sample can be scraped, cut, collected with a needle, taken with a machine that punches out a tiny piece, or removed with the tiny tools in an endoscope.

In most cases, a biopsy is a simple outpatient procedure. Depending on the procedure, patients may need to stop taking certain medications beforehand, such as blood thinners. It is important for patients to tell doctors if they are pregnant, as certain biopsies require the use of x-rays to guide the needle to the right location. There is usually very little pain associated with a biopsy. Patients will have to wait a few days to hear the results.

Implantation of the prosthesis is performed through an incision in the abdomen or scrotum. Depending on the type of implant, penile implant surgery will be completed within one to three hours. Recovery following penile implant surgery will usually take one or two days, and

implants may last indefinitely. However, there are risks associated with implants, including breakage, leakage, and infection. Broken or infected implants are treated by removal, repair, or replacement.

Following implantation, patients may return to full physical and sexual activity in about a month. Patients may need to take medication to ease pain and prevent infection, and they should avoid wearing tight clothing in the weeks after their procedure.

• The bladder, which stores urine.
• The urinary sphincters, which are muscles around the opening of the bladder that hold urine in.
• The urethra, which is the tube where urine flows out of the body.

Urodynamics tests are normally performed together as one series, but depending on patients' symptoms, only one or some of them may be necessary. The most common tests are:

• Cystometrogram, which measures the amount of urine the bladder can store and how full it is before someone has the urge to urinate. Doctors may order this test if she suspects their patient has a weak bladder.
• Pressure flow study, which measures the pressure in the bladder while urinating. This test helps locate a blockage in the bladder.
• Uroflowmetry, which measures how much and how fast urine flows out of the body. This test is usually recommended when patients have difficulty urinating or they have a slow stream.
• Urethral sphincter electromyography, which measures how strong the muscles and nerves in the bladder and sphincters are. Doctors may request this test if the problem they are experiencing is linked to muscle or nerve damage in the lower urinary tract.
• Urethral pressure profile, which measures the pressure along the urethra while the bladder is gradually filled with fluid. Low pressure could mean someone has a weak urethra, a contributing factor to urinary incontinence (loss of bladder control).

For a few hours following a urodynamics study, patients will likely feel some soreness or discomfort. It is recommended to drink at least one glass of water every half hour for two hours to relieve these symptoms. Holding a warm, moistened washcloth over the area where discomfort is felt or taking a warm bath may also help. Results for cystrometrograms and uroflowmetry are typically available immediately after the test, but results for the other tests may take a few days. When doctors have reviewed a patient's test results, he or she will discuss them with the patient, along with any treatments the patient may need.