Prostate Artery Embolization
Table of Contents
The treatment is done using an approach called interventional radiology during which a physician uses small tools, guided through catheters, to perform the procedure with less pain, lower risk, and a shorter recovery time.
How It Works
When a man has an enlarged prostate (or BPH) the excess prostate tissue can cause slow urine flow, incomplete bladder emptying, incontinence, urinary frequency, urgency, and other symptoms that affect quality of life. PAE is an approach that addresses this issue by reducing the amount of excess prostate tissue.
PAE is performed by an interventional radiologist who uses x-ray or other imaging techniques to guide instruments during the procedure. A small incision in the upper thigh is all that is needed. PAE takes one-to-two hours and is performed in an outpatient setting (not a hospital).
Your doctor makes a small puncture in an artery in your thigh or wrist to guide a microcatheter (tiny flexible tube) into the prostate arteries. Tiny beads (or microspheres) are inserted into the tube and become lodged in the prostate arteries and block blood flow to the prostate.
In the weeks that follow, these microspheres slowly restrict blood supply to the prostate, reducing the prostate to a more normal size. Once this occurs, the urethra is no longer compressed, and urination returns to normal.
What To Expect
- No pain with procedure
- Light sedation (twilight sleep)
- Bed rest for 2 hours following the procedure
- Symptoms improvement starts within 3 weeks
- Improvement continues for several months
- 75 – 90% success rate
- Lower risk of side effects such as erectile dysfunction, bleeding, and incontinence, compared to surgery
