Are rectal exams still done ??

I went to a Spanish doctor 25 years ago, and he was lagging in his medical knowledge. He sent me to have a lower intestinal exam done, that two other doctors discovered to be entirely unnecessary, after the fact. My insurance at the time refused to pay for it. It took me over a year to pay the $2,000 bill.

Here in the US with Medicare and most insurances the doctors/staff get pre-approval before doing any procedures (unless emergent). Normal doctor visits and referrals for consults don't seem to require any pre-authorization.

My PCP does not do them, says they miss as many hard nodules as they find. My urologist does do them, so I get one every 6 months. I just had the longest one I ever had by my pelvic floor physical therapist two weeks ago…it went on for at least 5 minutes, and, as you might guess, it was not a terribly erotic experience. However, she did find objective evidence of tight pelvic floor muscles, and after 5 sessions of PT I am getting some relief from pelvic pain, ED and DE (delayed ejaculation) issues. If you are having any of these issues, as well as urinary and/or bowel movement issues, I highly recommend a pelvic floor PT evaluation.

This business of not doing PSA tests (@Dixon) is troublesome, you need that test (and the free PSA/total PSA ratio) if you are an older man, because if your PSA is above 4 ng/dL but your free PSA ratio is 25% or better, there's really no need to consider a biopsy, especially the random/blind 12 core ones that until recently were considered the “gold standard” for diagnosing prostate cancer. I will NOT under any circumstances get one of those, or any biopsy at all, unless a prostate MRI is done first. The random biopsies essentially turn your prostate gland into steak tartare, and you have rectal bleeding and blood in your urine for a week, and blood in your semen for up to 3 months (can you imagine how painful that first ejaculation after a prostate biopsy is?) Infections are also a distinct possibility, and the random biopsies also have a false negative rate of up to 30%. So much for “do no harm”…

If my annual physical a couple of weeks ago is any indicator, I assure you that rectal exams are definitely still done. It just all depends on the patients age, symptoms, and the doctor.

Rectal exams are definitely done nowadays, I'm a doctor sub specialized in anal disorders and just tomorrow I will perform at least 14 rectal exams. Sounds to me that You're suffering from an anal fissure which takes a long time to heal but in the end it will heal. Either after the correct medication which should be some gel twice daily, a gel containing a muscle relaxin substance like nitroglycerine, some times you may need to have some botox injected inside the anal canal to make the muscle relax. Also you should eat some psyllium husk every day to make sur e you have a soft and regular stool.

That's good medical advice!

There's an old saying in medical schools: “If you don't put your finger in it, you'll put your foot in it.”

Oh yes they do rectal exams these days. Go to a anal rectal surgeon and tell him you think you have a fissure and he’ll give you a rectal exam. He’ll lay you on the table bend you over and expose you in ways you never thought you’d be exposed with a nurse in the background. He’ll first use his finger and then he’ll insert a tool into your rectum trying to find the Fissure. I had this done myself and later I had to have anal surgery to fix my problem. I haven’t had anal issues since. I can have a bowel movement whenever I want

I don’t know! I have rectal cancer and it is just blood tests and scans. I only had a DRE when it was discovered back in October.

Seems to depend on your provider. My current provider does one once a year. He would probably be shocked at how much I look forward to it and really shocked if he knew how much I wish he would probe my rectum for much longer. I have one coming up next month. I have been thinking about it for weeks now. So wonderful.

You will definitely be getting a thorough rectal/prostate exam if you schedule an appointment with me at my clinic.

I would think so. I remember a DRE.

I can assure you they're still done. Even though it's no longer the norm for males over 40 to receive an annual DRE to check for prostate cancer, I learned last year that I am at advanced risk for the disease, and therefore my PCP referred me to a urologist--who did little besides give me a DRE. I would have preferred to lie on my left side with my knee flexed--mainly because that is how I received all rectal exams to date--but she just told me to drop my pants and underpants and bend over with my elbows on the examination table. The whole thing lasted five seconds, max, and that was basically it for my appointment.

Yes, I've been receiving them at my physical exams the past few years.

My own experience is that it is fairly unusual here in the UK as part of a routine exam. My GP recently did one on me as I was having discomfort and irregular bowel movements. It was very different this time than in the past. He kept asking at every step , “May I part your buttocks to examine the outside of your anus? May I put some lubricant on your anus? May I insert my finger?" It was all about getting verbal consent for absolutely everything. I just lay there thinking, “For heaven's sake, stick it in!”

Yes

The bank manager still does mine lol

Here in the US they are still done my pcp does one unless I have had one at the urologist but my urologist changed hospitals so I do not have one right now. It’s doubtful that your symproms have anything to do with your rectum of prostate which is all a DRE might tell them. If you want a prostate exam ask for one As much I don’t like them I do feel they are needed because a psa is not foolproof in regards to cancer. I hadn’t had one in almost 2 years so I asked my pcp to do one at my last ”wellness checkup” and she did one. They will not order any kind of scope unless it’s medically necessary which it doesn’t sound like it is.

I am 62 years old and have a yearly physical exam. I have had at least one rectal yearly since turning 40. My last one was just over 3 weeks ago.

My previous doctor did the Dre staring at age 40 but didn’t do a psa test

my current doctor is the opposite and believes that both methods have their issues. So we basically have two ways that arent good.

in real life I’ve actually tried to do my own research reading the various literature and came to the same conclusion for now. So watching the psa over time and react if it changes.

My doctor does it to all of us during our physical which includes a full pelvic.

But I have said before that I find it interesting that not all doctors do it. I have friends who have never had it done and they go to a male gyno. Not the same gyno. So for a while, I was thinking that more female doctors do it versus male doctors. I still wonder about it. When I worked at the OB/GYN clinic they did it always for the first prenatal and some did it after. Some did it for new patients and some didn't. They were all male doctors.

I am mid 60's, obese and diabetic. I have had a dre once prior or a colonoscopy 30+ years ago. No dr since has done one; now just PSA test.

My female PCP does not want to do them. She says she is glad I have a urologist. He gives me a fat finger annually.

I'm 50, I'm french, and I never had one. But I don't go very often to the doctor. Only if I feel sick, which is very rare. So i don't have a “yearly exam".

Even with my first colonoscopy this year, the GI (female) didn't practice one for the controle visit prior to the procedure. i don't know if one was done during the procedure, there's nothing about it in the report, so i guess not.

I had a rectal exam by my family doctor in january. She is very pretty female doc. Does one yearly

Seems that after 70, at annual wellness exams, they are not done. Unless asked for by the patient. I get the feeling that after this age if you have problems you go to a specialist, or just carry on till you die.

I sorta miss it since I have female doctors. 😜 And no sex life…awh just tthe little pleasures seem to matter more now 😄

When I attended both my mom and my sisters gyno exams with them both of them got rectal exams. Both of them had their feet in the stirrups laying on their back when it was done. Before that I was used to fantasy stuff and thought it was done while they were bent over the table lol.

No questions asked by me, my Naturopath gave me a complete physical and on the list of things she was going to do included a rectal exam, prostate exam, testicular exam, besides probably 20 Other items.

When I was younger about 30-40 I did get them every so often. Since I turned 50 I have then every time I get a physical.

Annual dre at my urologist.

PCP doesn't do them anymore.

@AutoMechanic, reply #86. Really now? Very hard to believe that scenario…

“When I attended both my mom and my sisters gyno exams with them both of them got rectal exams” etc..etc