Prostate artery embolization (PAE) is a minimally-invasive therapy offered at UCSF by interventional radiology physicians to patients suffering from severe symptoms of prostate enlargement, otherwise known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). BPH is a condition that commonly affects older men. While medicines are often prescribed for BPH, some men may have intolerable side effects or persistent symptoms despite medicines. If BPH symptoms are severe enough, a patient’s urologist may recommend surgical intervention.
The current surgical “gold-standard” for BPH is transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), during which a device is introduced through the penile urethra to remove prostatic tissue that is blocking the flow of urine. While many urological procedures offered to patients today are performed through the urethra, PAE uniquely treats the prostate through the…
