A lab number
A high PSA result: when to see us in Johns Creek or Cumming
A laboratory printout with a PSA number you were not expecting can leave you unsure whether to wait, repeat the test, or see a urologist. Our urologists at the Johns Creek Clinic & Surgery Center and at the Cumming Clinic review that result with you, look at what might have raised it, and set a next step you can follow.
What to do with a high number on a lab slip
PSA is a blood test ordered in a primary-care office, during a physical, or after a urinary complaint. The report may flag the result as high, or a clinician may have already told you the number looks elevated. That flag is a reason to talk with a urologist. It is not, by itself, a cancer diagnosis, and it is not a reason to start a treatment plan from the paper alone.
Bring the report, any earlier PSA values you have, and a list of medicines and supplements. Dates matter: a recent urine infection, a catheter, a prostate exam, or ejaculation before the draw can all affect a single reading. We would rather see the actual numbers and dates than a verbal summary. If the laboratory portal is still open, a printed copy or a clear screenshot is enough to start.
When a visit with us is the right next step
Book a visit if the result is new to you, if it is higher than your last one, or if you have been told to “see urology” and have not yet been given a plan. You can start at 10730 Medlock Bridge Road in Johns Creek or at 4150 Deputy Bill Cantrell Memorial Road, Suite 180, in Cumming. Call 678-344-8900 or book online, and we will look for the earliest opening we can set. We do not promise a visit on the day you call.
This page is about coming in after a lab result. For a longer explanation of what a high PSA means, what can raise it, and how we decide on a repeat test, MRI, or biopsy, read our high PSA and biopsy page. Use that page when you want the workup laid out; use this one when you are holding a report and deciding whether to schedule.
What the first appointment usually covers
We go through your history, your urinary symptoms if you have them, and the pattern of your PSA values over time when earlier results exist. A prostate exam may be part of the visit. We will tell you whether we want to repeat the blood test, add imaging, or talk through a biopsy, and we will say why. Nothing is booked until we have explained the reason and you have had a chance to ask questions.
Some people arrive with no urinary complaints at all, just a number on a report. Others also have a slower stream or getting up at night, which may point us to our pages on a weak urine stream or night-time trips and enlarged prostate care. Those symptoms do not decide the PSA plan by themselves, but they belong in the same conversation.
How to talk about the result without rushing ahead
A raised PSA can have more than one explanation. Prostate enlargement, inflammation, and recent instrumentation can all play a part, and prostate cancer is one of the possibilities we take seriously. Our job at the first visit is to put your result in context, not to skip from a lab slip to an operating-room date. If a biopsy or further testing is the careful next step, we will say so plainly and walk through how that is done in these offices.
If you already had imaging or a biopsy elsewhere, bring those reports too. We would rather build on work that is already complete than repeat it without a reason. Follow-up can continue in Johns Creek or Cumming; if a procedure needs the operating room, the date is set at the Johns Creek surgery center, in the same building as the Johns Creek clinic.
What to mention when you call or book
Tell the scheduler that you are coming in about a PSA result, and mention any burning, fever, or trouble emptying, because those details can change how we plan the visit. If you take a blood thinner, say so when you book. Keep the health details for the phone call or the appointment itself; there is no form on this site for sending records ahead.
If you cannot urinate, have heavy bleeding, or have pain you cannot get under control, that is emergency-department care. Dial 911 or go to a hospital now. A raised PSA on a routine lab report, without those warning signs, is clinic work and can wait for a scheduled visit.
A related official video on an elevated PSA
An official Advanced Urology video on this topic.
Playing: What is Elevated PSA and how Advanced treats itWhat the video covers. Titled “What is Elevated PSA and how Advanced treats it.” An official Advanced Urology video that introduces an elevated PSA result and how the practice approaches the next step.
PSA visits are seen by our urologists at these two offices, including Dr. Neal Patel, Dr. T. Casey McCullough, and Dr. Nicholas Farber in Johns Creek, and Dr. Patel, Dr. Herman Bagga, Dr. Rut Patel, and Dr. Kushan Radadia in Cumming.
Questions we are often asked
I have a high PSA on a lab report. Do I need to see a urologist?
Yes, a new or rising result is a reason to come in at Johns Creek or Cumming so we can review the number, your earlier values if you have them, and the next step. The report itself is not a diagnosis.
Should I repeat the blood test before I book?
You can book now and bring the report you have. If a repeat draw is the right first move, we will say so at the visit rather than having you delay the appointment on your own.
Does a high PSA mean I have prostate cancer?
A raised result has more than one possible explanation. Prostate cancer is one of the things we take seriously, which is why we look rather than guess, but the number on the paper is not a diagnosis.
Can I be seen in Cumming for this?
The first visit can be at either office. If a procedure later needs the operating room, that date is set at the Johns Creek surgery center.
Is a high PSA an emergency?
A routine lab flag, without an inability to urinate, heavy bleeding, or uncontrolled pain, is clinic work. Those warning signs belong in an emergency department; dial 911 or go to a hospital now.
Whenever a visit would help, the Johns Creek and Cumming teams are a phone call or a booked appointment away.