What is PAE?
Prostatic artery embolization (PAE) is a minimally invasive treatment that helps improve lower urinary tract symptoms caused by a Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH).
Procedural Details
PAE is performed by an Interventional Radiologist through a small catheter inserted into the artery in your wrist or groin. The interventional radiologist will then guide the catheter into the vessels that supply blood to your prostate.
Tiny round microspheres (particles) are injected through the catheter and into the blood vessels that feed your prostate
to reduce its blood supply
Following this procedure, the prostate will begin to shrink, relieving and improving symptoms usually within days of the
procedure.
What are the advantages of PAE?
- No surgical incision or device inserted into the urethra
- Performed in an outpatient setting under “twilight sleep” with no general anesthesia
- Painless procedure lasting approximately 1 hour
- Very low complication rate and no reports of impotence or incontinence after PAE
- Symptom improvement occurs 2-3 weeks after the procedure
- Return to full activity within one week
By the numbers
- As many as 14 million men in the United States have symptoms of BPH
- 80-90% effective in reduction of symptoms
- 5-7 years durability for relief of symptoms
- By age 60, 50% of men will have some signs of BPH
