How Does Prostate Artery Embolization (PAE) Treat BPH?

Prostate artery embolization treats benign prostatic hyperplasia by blocking blood supply to the enlarged prostate through tiny particles injected via catheter, so the prostate shrinks naturally over time and urinary symptoms improve without any surgery or general anesthesia needed at all.

According to Dr. Aniruddha Kulkarni, Interventional Radiologist in Mumbai,
“PAE gives men with BPH a way to avoid traditional prostate surgery completely, we’re starving the prostate of blood so it shrinks down and those urinary problems resolve themselves naturally.”

PAE works by cutting off the blood supply feeding that enlarged prostate tissue, a thin catheter gets threaded through a small puncture in your wrist or groin right up to the prostatic arteries while real-time imaging keeps everything visible the entire time.

• Catheter navigation uses advanced imaging like CT or fluoroscopy to map out your arterial system first, the interventional radiologist identifies exactly which arteries are feeding blood to that enlarged prostate and plans the approach before inserting anything
• Particle delivery involves injecting these tiny microspheres that are way smaller than grains of sand into those prostatic arteries, the particles lodge in small vessels and block blood flow completely so the prostate tissue starts shrinking right away from lack of oxygen and nutrients
• Bilateral treatment means both sides of the prostate get treated during the same session since blood supply comes from arteries on both the left and right, covering both sides ensures you get maximum shrinkage and the best symptom relief possible
• Minimally invasive access through just one small puncture point that heals up super fast, there’s no cutting into the abdomen or going through the urethra like traditional prostate surgeries do which means way less trauma overall

Men choosing interventional radiology procedures for BPH treatment avoid the sexual side effects that often come with traditional surgery.

Results from PAE develop gradually as that prostate keeps shrinking over the next few months, most guys notice improvement in urinary symptoms pretty quickly though usually within the first four to six weeks after the procedure.

• Urinary flow improvement happens because the shrunken prostate stops squeezing your urethra so hard, guys report stronger urine streams and less straining when they try to empty their bladders completely
• Reduced nighttime trips to the bathroom is one of the biggest quality of life improvements honestly, going from waking up four or five times a night down to maybe once or twice makes a huge difference in how rested you feel
• No sexual dysfunction unlike TURP or other traditional surgeries that often cause retrograde ejaculation or erectile problems, PAE preserves sexual function in the vast majority of cases which matters a lot to most men
• Outpatient procedure means you’re going home the same day or maybe staying overnight at most, recovery takes just a few days compared to the weeks you’d need after traditional prostate surgery

The benefits of minimally invasive treatment show why more patients are looking into varicose veins treatment in Chembur and similar IR procedures that avoid major surgery.

Dr. Aniruddha Kulkarni brings over 20 years of interventional radiology expertise after extensive training at Tata Memorial Hospital and working at premier institutions like Hinduja and KEM hospitals, now he serves as Director of Vascular and Interventional Radiology at Nanavati Max Superspeciality Hospital where he’s performed numerous PAE procedures with really strong outcomes.

Patients choose him because he takes time explaining the procedure clearly, uses state of the art imaging for precise catheter work, and genuinely focuses on preserving quality of life including sexual function.

References

1. 1. 1. Prostate Artery Embolization for BPH – National Institutes of Health
      2. PAE Safety and Efficacy – Society of Interventional Radiology