What is BPH or BPE?

BPH stands for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia and BPE stands for Benign Prostatic Enlargement. As men get older, their prostates tend to get bigger, which is called BPH or BPE. This doesn’t always cause problems but can make it difficult to urinate, feel like you can’t hold it, and urinate multiple times throughout the night.

Prostate Artery Embolization (paE)

Prostate artery embolization is a minimally invasive solution for enlarged prostates causing problems. This is an outpatient procedure where some of the blood supply to the prostate is blocked off with tiny permanent beads, causing the prostate to shrink. This is done through a pinhole in the wrist or top of the leg, so no incision or stitches. It does take time for the prostate to shrink, but most people start noticing a difference within a month.

Other options for treating enlarged prostates include surgery, using different tools to create more space for urine to pass through the prostate. You can also have surgery to remove the prostate but this tends to be avoided if possible due to the higher risks and recovery. Most enlarged prostates can be treated with the less invasive surgeries or PAE. PAE has less risk of complications but has a higher chance of the problems coming back years later.

What are the risks and recovery of paE?

The procedure is generally safe with less risks than surgery. It can cause burning with urination and even worsening of the urinary problems for a few days. I will give you medications to help with this. Otherwise, there is no specific recovery needed.