Fingers too short for prostate exam?

Never heard of this before. I had my first physical with a new doctor today. She has been in practice for less than a year. I have the early symptoms of an enlarged prostate. I talked with the doctor and she said that she would order a PSA as part of my labs on my next visit. She even said that they are not always real accurate. I asked about a DRE. She told me that her fingers are too short to do them. She knows this from experience. I have never heard of this before. I know several guys who have prostate cancer, so naturally as I get older it becomes more of a concern. I would like to hear the thoughts of you medical professionals out there. I don't want to have to make a separate appointment with another doctor or urologist just to get this checked,

That was a lousy excuse for not wanting to do the DRE.

You didn't do or say anything to make her think doing a DRE was erotic did you????? DID YOU?????

Maybe that's why she didn't want to do it.

The PSA ISN'T always a good indicator or prostate health.

Susie - I had a list of things to discuss since I had not been to see a doctor for over a year. One of the items on the list was about my urine flow decreasing. She was looking at the list telling me that we would not be able to get through the whole list. She brought up the urine and said it may be an enlarged prostate. She told me that she would order the PSA test. She also commented that it is sometimes false and to not worry about the result too much. I then asked if a DRE would be better than a PSA. I did not ask her to do one. She replied that she does not do them because her fingers are too small. Nothing erotic ever came into the discussion, it was just a matter of fact discussion. The actual physical was very abbreviated. See my comments under the gowns discussion. She was primarily concerned with talking about lab results and additional testing.

John, during my recent exam, my doc informed me that she could only reach the bottom third of my prostate. She's the only one who has checked my prostate who told me that. So it may vary from doc to doc as far as their ability to reach in & feel it.

The PSA can't possibly determine if you have BPH (enlarged prostate). She should have at least tried to check your prostate. In the past I have had doctors tell me that their fingers are short and they sometimes find it difficult to reach all parts of the prostate, but at least they tried instead of just giving up. Perhaps she should try a different position for her patients? On the exam table on your elbows and knees with your ass up in the air seems to be the best position for those hard-to-reach places, especially if the doctor has short fingers. Or so I've been told.

. . . In the past I have had doctors tell me that their fingers are short and they sometimes find it difficult to reach all parts of the prostate,. . .

NOBODY'S fingers can reach the entire prostate.

If you felt like this exam fell short and you are worried about your prostate health, I might just book an appointment with a urologist. You shouldn't walk out having questions or doubts about your health.

My physicals are done by one of my doctor's PAs. I always get the same one, as I am an established patient with her. She is tall, around 5 feet 10 inches. So she has long, slender fingers. She has never commented about not being able to feel my entire prostate, only that my prostate feels normal. Maybe her long finger helps her be able to feel at least most of it.

Not sure about fingers that are too short to do a thorough prostate exam, but if my doctor said that was the case, I'd consider another doctor.. My family physician has fingers as big around as sausages but not very long. When he does the DRE he really shoves one in hard to the point of pain for me. Because my PSA was bouncing around, he recommended a Urologist. He did the most thorough exam I've ever had and I hardly felt it. I guess he has longer and thinner fingers. He was a blessing and I never dread the DRE since he's now doing them for me.

It happens. A couple of my short and petite medical school classmates had this problem. Either they could only get to the bottom of the prostate or not even reach it at all. Some of them were able to do it if the patient brought his knees up to his chest and they pushed harder though.

If it is a group practice why do they not just get another doctor?

My family physician has fingers as big around as sausages but not very long. When he does the DRE he really shoves one in hard to the point of pain for me.

Been through the same thing. This one doc I saw who was short had short, but fat fingers. 2012. I had only had a few DREs done previously, but that one hurt the most. I was wincing in pain, so close to screaming.

I had a physical years ago with a doctor that had short, fat fingers. It was a job related physical I had to have every 4 years related to medical monitoring for occupational radiation exposure. It required a testicular exam for all males and a prostate exam for all males 37 and over. Lucky me I had just turned 37 five months prior, so I had my first ever prostate exam. It was very uncomfortable. He really pushed hard into me. Between the pressure from the pushing and the fat finger, and it being my first rectal exam I was almost in pain. He probably had a hard time feeling my prostate due to the short finger. Definitely the most uncomfortable rectal exam I have ever had. Luckily when I went back 4 years later they had another doctor with slender fingers, so I barely felt it at all.

I am glad my PA has long, slender fingers. I feel no pressure or discomfort at all when she examines me, just the usual urge to pee and a little bit of tingling on the head of my penis. I am really looking forward to her giving me and my wife our physicals together next month!

To be honest I've never heard that excuse before i have to get physicals done all of time for my life insurance policy and once met a young female doctor who straight out said she would not be doing a rectal exam or a prostate exam as it was to embarrassing for her.

I've never heard of this specifically for prostate exams, but I can say that I have a colleague whose fingers are too short to do some cervical exams, especially if the woman's cervix is very high or posterior. If she sees that on someone's chart at intake on L&D, she usually hands the client off to someone else.

once met a young female doctor who straight out said she would not be doing a rectal exam or a prostate exam as it was to embarrassing for her.

Too embarrassing for HER ???? Unless the doctor has you on your back in stirrups, you're not even facing the doctor during the DRE in the 3 other more common positions.

And it's not like she's being the one exposed.

"Oh, oh, oh, that's ok doc. If you're too embarrassed & don't want to go through with it, you don't have to. I'll just risk dying from prostate cancer like my dad did."

You know, and then like moon her on your way out.

I had a Doctor once that did all rectal exams with you on your side and he had short fingers. It felt like he was trying to get part of his hand up there as well, all the while apologizing for his short fingers. I always thought that a different position might help him reach the prostate a little easier, but he thought that being bent over an exam table was demeaning to the patient and would not use it. He moved away so I had to quit using him as my PCP but he is a very caring and considerate Doctor.

I've heard of the prostate being located farther up, inside the body such that longer fingers are needed...

It kind of amazes me that she wouldn’t even attempt, her fingers must be very short. The doctor I have gone to for many years has short fingers, but then again she is fairly short in stature and while she has some difficulty reaching my prostate she has been able and does check it yearly. As for the doctor who was too embarrassed to do a rectal exam, perhaps she should have chosen a specialty where that wouldn’t have been an issue. Well good doctors are like gold, they are hard to come by.

Thanks to most of you for your responses. I have been scheduled for a colonoscopy in a couple of weeks. Would it be out of line to ask the gastroenterologist to check my prostate since I will be there and they will already be working in the area? Should I ask my doctor to ask the gastroenterologist to check my prostrate or do it myself when I show up for the procedure. If my doctor asks then I am sure it will not be considered erotic. It will be a month or so before I go in and have the blood tests including the one to check my PSA.

Its been over 3 years since my PSA was checked and over two years since a DRE was done. I don't know if I will switch docs yet. I don't like the idea of making a separate appointment with a urologist every year when I go in and have a physical.

I´m not sure if your gastroenterologyst would perform a prostate exam....

I have had female examiners, when they were preparing to do the exam, apologize in advance for their short fingers, saying that it might cause discomfort. However, that has never been among the litany of alleged "reasons" they wouldn't do them.

Isn't the PSA test solely to determine the likelihood of prostate cancer? Someone close to me was assured by his doctor that a prostate exam wasn't necessary and/or effective and ended up in the ER due to a blocked bladder from an enlarged prostate...

The urologist he saw said that a prostate exam in older men is very important and that the government's recent recommendation to stop prostate examination is misguided and frankly, dangerous.

I have never heard that from a doctor. Since the prostate is only 2 to 3 inches up the rectum, not sure how anyone would have fingers too short to reach it. It is not a big gland either so not sure why it requires an extra long finger. Maybe if they are trying to reach the seminal vessels above the prostate....

I can't speak for a doctor, but I do know that my prostate is now too big for me to feel the top of it with my thumb when I'm lying on my side (that's how I massage my pelvic floor, and one day I thought I would try and get a size estimate to correlate with what I measured on my CT). I would think that most index fingers would be long enough to get at it, especially if the doctor was willing to try different patient positions. I might even be able to feel the top if I was in a different position, but access is an issue.