Current Perceptions, Practice Patterns, and Barriers to Adoption of Transperineal Prostate Biopsy Under Local Anesthesia

Objective: To assess perceptions, practice patterns, and barriers to adoption of transperineal prostate biopsy (TPBx) under local anesthesia.

Methods: Providers from Michigan urological surgery improvement collaborative (MUSIC) and Pennsylvania urologic regional collaborative (PURC) were administered an online survey to assess beliefs and educational needs regarding TPBx. Providers were divided into those who performed or did not perform TPBx. The MUSIC and PURC registries were queried to assess TPBx utilization. Descriptive analytics and bivariate analysis determined associations between provider/practice demographics and attitudes.

Results: Since 2019, TPBx adoption has increased more than 2-fold to 7.0% and 16% across MUSIC and PURC practices, respectively. Of 350 urologists invited to participate in a survey, a total of 91 complete responses were obtained with 21 respondents (23%) reported performing TPBx. Participants estimated the learning curve was <10 procedure for TPBx performers and non-performers. No significant association was observed between learning curve and provider age/practice setting. The major perceived benefits of TPBx were decreased risk of sepsis, improved cancer detection rate and antibiotic stewardship. The most commonly cited challenges to implementation included access to equipment and patient experience. Urologists performing TPBx reported learning curve as an additional barrier, while those not performing TPBx reported duration of procedure.

Conclusion: Access to equipment and patient experience concerns remain substantial barriers to adoption of TPBx. Dissemination of techniques utilizing existing equipment and optimization of local anesthetic protocols for TPBx may help facilitate the continued adoption of TPBx.