Prostate Artery Embolization for BPH. Anyone have it done?
PAE can be done through wrist or femoral artiry. Usually catheter is not needed. Catheter is for as a marker by some radialogists. I am wondering if it can be done without any sedation? Thanks.
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I'm 69 and tired of thinking about where and when I'm going to pee next. I'm also tired of having compromised pupil function caused by Alfuzosin and having diminished vision. My prostate size is 89.
Mayo doesn't do PAE but recommended Miami University if I wanted to pursue it. I researched and found Dr. Ari Isaacson in Raleigh N.C and had it done yesterday.
Procedure itself was a breeze with no pain or discomfort, just a pinprick from the local anesthesia at the femoral artery entry site. Procedure was around an hour or less, and I watched the whole thing on a monitor. Laid in recovery for 90 minutes then walked 1/4 mile to pick up my prescriptions and to wait for my UBER to my hotel room(I flew in from 300 miles away).
Pure hell all yesterday afternoon and night with pain in my pelvis area. Didn't pee for a few hours and was having diarrhea all afternoon. Really thought I had made a mistake choosing this route. Evening came and I started peeing strongly every few minutes or so. Up all night with diarhea and frequent painful urination.
I got maybe 3 hours sleep and it's a new morning. I'm feeling much better and peeing less frequently with less pain. Removed the dressing from the femoral artery entry point and I can hardly make out any mark from it and maybe drop of dried blood on the bandage. Maybe this WAS a good decision?
I'll keep y'all posted.
Let us know your progress. I am in similar situation and considering PAE.
good luck. please keep us posted how you are doing, we hope well! the procedure sounds interesting.
In 2016 I had PAE with a renowned surgeon (more than 700 surgeries). Spent 2 months, with excruciating pain urination, peed and pooped blood, passed pieces of internal skin through urine and many nights without sleeping well.
Two months after I had strong urine stream that lasts other 2 months and then the stream reduces its flow. Prostate began to grow again after healing and in 2025 I made HOLEP. Now almost 90 days after the surgery I still have excruciating pain urination, urgency and frequency. The stream is less strong than the one when I had PAE. I think I have my overdose of pain caused by prostate. I hope that I don´t have any other surgery
I have had Benign Hyperplasia (BHP) since I was in my 30s, and I am 72 now. I wish I could find something that works to relieve the symptoms. I stopped the pills because they made me feel goofy. The doctor said they should not do that. I just heard about this PAE, and you are the first person I’ve read about who has had it done. I look forward to following your progress. I understand you had some pain after the procedure. Did the doctor explain that you would have any possible issues or side effects after the procedure? I am wondering if your symptoms are common.
I suggest you to read everything you can find about "Postembolization Syndrome after Prostatic Artery Embolization", but be aware that other symptoms can occur after a PAE like - perineal pain, blood in urine and faeces, scabs that can pass thru urine, burning sensation to pee, LUTS and other. Mosat important - Don´t believe if a surgeon says that PAE is a almost no-pain procedure, cause this is not true
It's been 11 days since my PAE procedure. Doctor said it would feel like a UTI for a few days. I've never had a UTI before, but I can say with confidence that my LUTS have worsened with the addition of stinging/aching pain while urinating. The pain isn't excruciating so I can live with that for a while. The LUTS that have worsened are weaker stream, frequency, nocturia (4 or 5 times a night instead of 1 or 2), and urgency. The generalized pelvic pain, that I was experiencing for a week after the procedure, went away. I'm still taking my once-a-day Alfuzosin.
My goal is to GET OFF THE ALFUZOSIN. It relieved my LUTS pretty well in the beginning but gave me a constant low-grade headache. I've lived with that and also the well-known floppy irises that I think has affected my focusing ability somewhat. I've also had a noticeable worsened ability to see in lower light situations. I recently uncovered an obscure study that showed that Alpha blockers reduce the maximum size of pupil dilation. None of my doctors were aware of that study.
At day 11 I'm looking at it as a couple of steps backwards, potentially many steps forward. Doctor says 80-90 percent of his patients are able to get off of their medications.
I'm hopeful.
AllCON:
Age 66 and had I had artery embolization (AE) almost 2 years ago. Unfortunately it did not have the desired impact on urgency, flow, and trips to the bathroom. Therefore had an aqua oblation procedure done which is certainly more invasive and requires a catheter and longer recovery time. After some 6 months it appears to have solved my issues but sometimes do have pain urinating and pass small debris in the urine. The surgeon is not sure if this is calcified prostate material or perhaps bladder stones. I am exercising vigorously and my prostate seems to be under control.
Hello aapisani5,
Thank you so much for the reply. I will keep this in mind for when I make a decision. I am using supplements, which do help a little; however, I will need to have my prostate reduced at some point soon. I'm sorry you had to undergo two procedures, but I am glad your prostate seems to be under control. I wish for the day and the night when I do not have to get up to urinate three to four times.
Understand - was on Tamsulosin for several years and was told by the Embolization Doc that there is a relationship between this drug and dementia?? Not sure this is accurate but glad I am off any med.
My advice is start with the least invasive and see if it works.