Transrectal Prostate Biopsy Approach in Men Undergoing Kidney Transplant: A Retrospective Cohort Study at Three Referral Academic Centers

Abstract

Background: Currently, there are no studies evaluating the feasibility of a prostate biopsy approach in men undergoing a kidney transplant (KT). Owing to this evidence, we planned a retrospective population-based study to evaluate our experience of a transrectal prostate biopsy (TR-PB) approach and studied the impact on the complication rate and outcomes in patients undergoing KT with suspected prostate cancer (PCa). Methods: We collected data from KT patients who underwent PB with a transrectal approach. One week and two weeks after the PB, patients’ information was collected regarding possible complications during the post-biopsy period. Results: A total of 121 patients were included in this study. Among them, Group 1 was composed of 59 patients undergoing TR-PB with an ultrasound (US) standard technique, and Group 2 consisted of 62 patients undergoing TR-PB with an MRI-US cognitive technique. We observed a 28.9% Clavien–Dindo grade ≤ 2 of early side effect rates (mostly rectal bleeding and other minor hematuria), with a very low rate of hospital re-admission for acute urinary retention (3.3%); only one man required hospitalization for rectal bleeding, and there were no major complications. Conclusions: We can affirm that TR-PB can be a safe procedure with a low risk of severe complications when performed by skilled specialists with a standardized procedural pathway.