# A Prospective Clinical Study on Postoperative Complications of Prostate Biopsy Following COVID-19 Infection at a Tertiary Hospital in Taizhou, China

## TL;DR

This study finds that prostate biopsy complications are similar in patients with and without a history of COVID-19 infection.

## Contribution

The study provides new clinical evidence on postoperative complications of prostate biopsy in post-COVID-19 patients.

## Key findings

- Postoperative complications in post-COVID-19 patients were not significantly different from non-infected patients.
- Common complications included hematuria, perineal pain, and urinary retention.
- No significant association was found between prior COVID-19 infection and specific complications.

## Abstract

Background: Postoperative complications in individuals with a prior history of COVID-19 infection have been insufficiently investigated. This study is conducted to explore the postoperative complications of prostate biopsy in patients following a COVID-19 infection.

Materials and Methods: Data from individuals who underwent a prostate biopsy at a tertiary hospital in Taizhou city from 1 February to 15 November 2023 were collected, including a history of COVID-19 infection, a history of chronic disease, and postoperative complications of prostate biopsy.

Results: A total of 526 participants were enrolled in the study, with 325 individuals having a prior history of COVID-19 infection. The interval between infection and prostate biopsy was 29.25 ± 12.75 weeks, with a fluctuation range from 0.71 to 87.57 weeks. In individuals with a history of COVID-19 infection, 72 were asymptomatic, 110 experienced respiratory symptoms, and 145 had fever. In total, 198 patients reported postoperative complications, which showed no statistically significant difference with a history of COVID-19 infection (p=0.217). The top three reported postoperative complications were hematuria, perineal pain, and urinary retention, which tended not to be related to a history of COVID-19 infection (p=0.448, p=0.991, and p=0.277, respectively).

Conclusion: The incidence of postoperative complications of prostate biopsy in post-COVID-19 patients, who currently have no symptoms of COVID-19 infection, was comparable to patients with no history of COVID-19 infection. In clinical practice, for males with a history of controlled COVID-19 infection, the risk of postoperative complications from prostate biopsy should not be a major concern.