DR CHEW-LIN YIP | UROLOGIST
Prostate MRI and Biopsy in Perth and Mandurah
Why MRI is done first
Dr Chew-Lin Yip arranges prostate MRI and performs prostate biopsy for patients being investigated for a raised PSA or abnormal examination. Consultations are available in Mandurah, Murdoch and Rockingham for people from the Peel region and southern Perth.
A multiparametric MRI is usually considered before an initial biopsy when clinically appropriate. It can identify areas that warrant targeted sampling, while other systematic samples may also be required. In some patients, a reassuring scan may support a decision to monitor rather than biopsy immediately.
MRI findings are reported on a scale describing how suspicious an area appears. They are interpreted alongside PSA, prostate examination, prostate size and overall risk. A non-suspicious MRI does not by itself rule out cancer.
What a biopsy involves
A biopsy takes small cores of tissue from the prostate. A pathologist examines them to determine whether cancer is present and, if so, how aggressive it appears.
Cores may be taken through the perineum — the skin between the scrotum and anus — or through the rectal wall. The transperineal approach is preferred because it has a lower risk of post-biopsy infection.
Dr Yip performs transperineal prostate biopsy under general anaesthetic as a day procedure at Peel Health Campus in Mandurah, St John of God Murdoch and Hollywood Private Hospital in Nedlands. The patient is asleep throughout and needs a responsible adult to provide transport home.
Before the biopsy
The hospital will provide fasting instructions. Dr Yip will advise how blood-thinning medication should be managed and whether antibiotics are required. Blood-thinning medication should never be stopped without specific medical advice.
The hospital and anaesthetist will also provide individual instructions about driving and activity after the procedure.
After the biopsy and when to seek help
Blood in the urine for several days and blood in the semen for some weeks are expected and usually settle. Some patients have difficulty passing urine afterwards and may briefly need a catheter.
Seek medical attention promptly for fever or shaking chills, inability to pass urine, heavy bleeding or feeling significantly unwell.
Results
The rooms will advise when the pathology result is expected and arrange a follow-up appointment with Dr Yip.
A biopsy showing no cancer may still require ongoing PSA monitoring because sampling the prostate is not the same as examining all of it. A biopsy showing cancer does not automatically mean treatment is required; the result is interpreted with the PSA, MRI, examination and the patient’s circumstances before options are discussed.