If you’re experiencing symptoms from an enlarged prostate, prostatic artery embolization (PAE) is an alternative to surgery that may be able to help. PAE is a minimally invasive procedure (one using a single tiny incision) where the prostate is shrunk by restricting its blood supply. 

PAE is gaining popularity because it can treat symptoms from an enlarged prostate with several potential benefits over surgery. With PAE, there may be less recovery time, less pain, lower risk of sexual or urinary side effects, and you don’t have to have be “put to sleep” using general anesthesia.

Why Choose Us

  • State-of-the-art care: We use advanced techniques such as cone beam CT, which allow us to image the inside of your body in 3D and minimize potential risks. 
  • Prioritizing your care: Helping you find relief for your symptoms is why we’re here. We’re committed to scheduling your initial consultation and treatment as soon as possible.
  • All the specialists you need: Our interventional radiology team works closely with the urology team to maximize treatment options available to you.
  • Trusted by our community: Our team is part of an academic medical center trusted by millions to provide life-saving services and perform world-class research.

Conditions We Treat

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is an enlargement of the prostate gland that can result in troublesome urinary symptoms. Some of the most common symptoms include:

  • Urinary frequency, or frequent urination, which can be related to an inability of the bladder to completely empty due to blockage by the enlarged prostate gland. Urinary frequency is the most common symptom of BPH.
  • Nocturia, or the need to wake up during sleep to urinate.
  • Urinary hesitancy, or difficulty emptying the bladder, which can be associated with a weak stream of urine.
  • Hematuria, or the presence of blood in the urine, which is treatable with prostatic artery embolization when caused by BPH. You may need other types of care if your hematuria is caused by another condition. 

What to Expect

If you are a candidate for PAE, our staff will schedule your procedure within a few weeks of initial consultation. Patients who undergo PAE generally return home the same day without having to be observed in the hospital for a recovery period.

You can expect your symptoms to start improving about four weeks after the procedure. Many patients report satisfactory improvement, which can continue to progress three to four months later.

Your First Visit

Shortly after contacting us, you will have a clinic visit with an interventional radiologist who will be performing the procedure. At this visit, your specialist will evaluate if PAE is right for your diagnosis and unique health considerations, share details about the procedure, and answer any questions you may have. Should a visit with a urologist be needed, our staff will arrange a referral.

Treatment

During PAE, your interventional radiologist inserts a catheter through a small incision into an artery. Using advanced imaging techniques, the catheter is guided to the blood vessels that supply your prostate. Tiny particles are injected into the catheter, which block the vessels and reduce the prostate’s blood supply. The procedure lasts a few hours, performed while you’re awake but under the effects of a sedative and anesthetic (known as conscious sedation).

Follow-Up

After the procedure, you will stay with us for a few hours to recover. You’ll then be sent home with medications to prevent infection and reduce potential discomfort that can develop over the following days to weeks. You will also be given contact information so you can reach out if any questions or problems arise.
 
Finally, you will be scheduled for a clinic visit six weeks after your procedure to assess your symptoms and discuss any further steps if necessary.

Risks

As a non-surgical alternative to traditional therapies for benign prostatic hyperplasia, PAE comes with lower risk of side effects. A majority of the possible side effects from PAE are well managed with oral medications at home. However, other possible risks include:

  • Complications like infection or blood pooling under the skin at the incision site
  • Prostate infection
  • Blood in the urine, semen, or stool

Take the Next Step

If you’re suffering from symptoms of enlarged prostate, don’t wait to get relief. To learn if PAE can help you, please call us at 909-558-5835 and schedule an initial consultation today.

Your First Visit

Shortly after contacting us, you will have a clinic visit with an interventional radiologist who will be performing the procedure. At this visit, your specialist will evaluate if PAE is right for your diagnosis and unique health considerations, share details about the procedure, and answer any questions you may have. Should a visit with a urologist be needed, our staff will arrange a referral.

Treatment

During PAE, your interventional radiologist inserts a catheter through a small incision into an artery. Using advanced imaging techniques, the catheter is guided to the blood vessels that supply your prostate. Tiny particles are injected into the catheter, which block the vessels and reduce the prostate’s blood supply. The procedure lasts a few hours, performed while you’re awake but under the effects of a sedative and anesthetic (known as conscious sedation).

Follow-Up

After the procedure, you will stay with us for a few hours to recover. You’ll then be sent home with medications to prevent infection and reduce potential discomfort that can develop over the following days to weeks. You will also be given contact information so you can reach out if any questions or problems arise.
 
Finally, you will be scheduled for a clinic visit six weeks after your procedure to assess your symptoms and discuss any further steps if necessary.

Risks

As a non-surgical alternative to traditional therapies for benign prostatic hyperplasia, PAE comes with lower risk of side effects. A majority of the possible side effects from PAE are well managed with oral medications at home. However, other possible risks include:

  • Complications like infection or blood pooling under the skin at the incision site
  • Prostate infection
  • Blood in the urine, semen, or stool

Take the Next Step

If you’re suffering from symptoms of enlarged prostate, don’t wait to get relief. To learn if PAE can help you, please call us at 909-558-5835 and schedule an initial consultation today.