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What is Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)?

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) or benign prostate enlargement is a noncancerous tumor in the prostate gland. BPH affects approximately half of men aged 51-60.

Typical Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (LUTS) of BPH include:

Nocturia (increased frequency of urination at night) | Increased frequency and urgency to urinate in general | Difficulty starting and stopping urination | Weak urinary stream | Incomplete emptying of the bladder | Blood in the urine | Acute urinary retention (inability to urinate)

When Oral Medications Aren’t Enough

Fortunately, many of the symptoms associated with BPH can be treated with oral medications. If oral medications fail to provide adequate relief for your BPH symptoms, however, it may be time to explore alternative treatment options. Schedule an appointment with our experienced interventional radiologists to discuss whether the minimally invasive procedure Prostate Artery Embolization (PAE) is right for you.

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An Alternative Treatment Option

For a certain percentage of men, oral medications are ineffective in providing relief for BPH. When this is the case, individuals are typically offered a variety of surgical procedures, including transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). When surgical procedures such as TURP are not suitable or desired, patients may seek alternative treatment options for BPH.

In recent years, medical advancements have led to the development of minimally invasive techniques that offer effective symptom relief without the need for traditional surgery. One such innovative treatment is Prostate Artery Embolization (PAE), a non-surgical procedure that has gained recognition for its ability to alleviate BPH symptoms while minimizing risks and recovery time.

Are you a candidate for Prostate Artery Embolization (PAE)?

Over the past month, how often have you had a sensation of not emptying your bladder completely after you finished urinating?

Over the past month, how often have you had to urinate again less than 2 hours after you finished urinating?

Over the past month, how often have you found you stopped and started again several times when you urinated?

Over the past month, how often have you found it difficult to postpone urination?

Over the past month, how often have you had a weak urinary stream?

Over the past month, how often have you had to push or strain to begin urination?

Over the past month, how many times did you most typically get up to urinate from the time you went to bed at night until the time you got up in the morning?

Please provide your info below, and our team will contact you to arrange a consultation.

Prostate Artery Embolization

Prostate artery embolization (PAE) is a cutting-edge, minimally invasive procedure that can be used as an alternative to the standard surgical techniques in appropriate patients. The goal of PAE is to shrink the prostate and significantly improve the LUTS associated with BPH. This is accomplished by a small puncture in either the left wrist or groin, followed by the insertion of a microcatheter (small tube) to the level of the prostate artery, which significantly decreases the blood flow to the prostate. As the blood flow decreases, so does the size and growth potential of the gland.

PAE is performed by an Interventional Radiologist (IR), as an outpatient procedure. The patient is put under conscious sedation and is able to leave 2-4 hours after the procedure. PAE has been thoroughly studied in Europe and South America, and it is gaining popularity in the United States. The team at Northwest Radiology is proud to lead the way in offering this exciting new treatment.

Prostate artery embolization (PAE) is a minimally invasive procedure that involves blocking the blood flow to the prostate gland in order to reduce its size. It is considered to be as good as transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), the current standard of care for treating symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), because it has been shown to be similarly effective in reducing symptoms and improving quality of life in multiple studies.

A 2019 systematic review and meta-analysis of 10 studies involving 769 patients found that PAE and TURP were similarly effective in reducing symptoms and improving quality of life, with no significant difference in terms of adverse events. Another study published in 2020 in the Journal of Endourology found that PAE was non-inferior to TURP in terms of symptom relief and improvement in quality of life.

References

Al-Otaibi, M., & Al-Qahtani, M. (2019). Prostate artery embolization for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia: systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of vascular and interventional radiology : JVIR, 30(9), 1315-1323.

Gao, H., Wang, J., Liu, Q., Fang, Y., & Chen, Y. (2020). Noninferiority of Prostate Artery Embolization Compared to Transurethral Resection of the Prostate in Symptomatic Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of endourology, 34(8), 795-801.

Who Is A Candidate?

Men suffering with LUTS from BPH who are not responding to or experiencing side effects from the standard medications used to treat BPH

Men who wish to avoid surgical procedures for BPH such as a TURP or prostatectomy

Men with very large prostate glands who may be poor candidates for TURP

Men who may have other medical conditions limiting their ability to undergo general anesthesia for a surgical procedure

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