What Is Prostatic Artery Embolization?
Prostatic artery embolization (PAE) is a minimally invasive treatment to shrink an enlarged prostate, also called benign prostatic hyperplasia. It’s a painless, non-surgical option for men suffering from lower urinary tract symptoms caused by an enlarged prostate, including:
- Feeling of incomplete emptying when urinating
- Frequent nighttime urination
- Starting and stopping urination
- Urinary frequency
- Weak stream
Compared to other treatments for an enlarged prostate, PAE has fewer side effects, a shorter recovery, and the procedure is not performed through the penis.
How It Works
PAE is performed as an outpatient procedure; no overnight stay is necessary. Before their procedure, most patients won’t even need bloodwork or imaging, like a CT or MRI. You will need to bring a driver, however.
PAE is performed under IV sedation (twilight sleep) on a prostate of any shape or size. During the procedure, an interventional radiologist threads a tiny catheter into an artery in your groin or wrist. Then, he’ll guide the catheter to the blood vessels that supply blood to the prostate. Tiny microspheres are then injected into the blood vessels to block the blood supply to the prostate. Deprived of a blood supply, the prostate will shrink, relieving your symptoms within days.
The entire procedure is painless and lasts for about 45 minutes. We’ll move you to a recovery area where you’ll stay for about two hours before being cleared to go home. You should not drive until the following day.
What Is Recovery Like?
Most men can return to their normal activity level the day after their procedure. You’ll start to notice results within weeks and may continue to see improvement for about six months.
PAE is highly successful for most men and has the lowest rate of complications compared to other procedures for an enlarged prostate. With PAE, there’s no risk of sexual dysfunction or incontinence and no need for a urinary catheter.
Getting Started
You can trust your prostate treatment to Prostate Centers USA. Our expert physicians have performed more than 1000 procedures in the past ten years, making them some of the most experienced physicians in the US in PAE. They also have an impressive success rate of 99%!
Call +1 262-656-2508 for an appointment, or locate your closest clinic on our website.
Most insurance typically covers PAE, but individual policies vary. Our office insurance coordinator will work with your insurance company for preauthorization, if required.