You may have heard of PAE, particularly if you are suffering from benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a condition which affects millions of men globally as they get older. But just how successful is prostate artery embolization? This post delves into the success rates, clinical outcomes, and patient experiences to help you decide if the treatment might be right for you.
PAE is a minimally invasive treatment performed on an outpatient basis by an interventional radiologist. It aims to shrink the enlarged prostate and alleviate the disruptive urinary symptoms associated with the condition by blocking the arteries delivering blood to the gland.
Men suffering from BPH are often attracted to this procedure because it’s an option that’s less invasive than surgery since no incision is necessary and recovery time is short - with most patients able to return to their normal lives within a week.
PAE also offers a solution for men who are unable to tolerate medications for BPH because of their side effects or for those not wishing to undergo conventional surgery which has greater risks, possible sexual side effects, and can involve months of recovery time.
That’s PAE in a nutshell, now let’s get back to the subject of this post - How successful is prostate artery embolization?
Several studies have shown the effectiveness of PAE in treating BPH as follows:
Study 1
Research presented at the Society of Interventional Radiology’s annual scientific meeting in 2017 showed that prostate artery embolization maintains its effectiveness for at least three years and longer.
A study (the largest of its kind) was conducted between March 2007 and March 2016 whereby an interventional radiologist at St Louis Hospital in Lisbon, Portugal, João Martins Pisco, and his team performed PAE on 1000 men with an average age of 67.
An analysis was carried out on all the patients in the short term (1,3, and 6 months); 807 patients were monitored in the medium term (every 6 months between 6 months and 3 years), while 406 patients were evaluated long term (annually after 3 years).
The men’s symptoms were measured in each evaluation by:
Additionally, the size of the prostate and the amount of urine remaining in the bladder after urination was measured by the researchers. They also assessed the peak urinary flow rate and the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level, a test used to screen for prostate cancer.
For the 807 men, the data revealed:
And of the 406 patients measured at the long-term mark, the data revealed a 78% cumulative success.
Study 2
A more recent study carried out from August 11th 2011 to December 2021 was performed to evaluate the long-term success of prostate artery embolization in 88 patients suffering from acute urinary retention related to BPH.
During the month following PAE, 72 patients were successfully able to have their catheters removed and 16 patients experienced immediate recurrence.
Clinical success was maintained for 66% of patients at a long-term follow-up while Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated a 3-year catheter-free probability of 60%. However, 15% of patients were affected by acute urinary relapse.
Study 3
A further study carried out between March 2018 and July 2020 concluded that prostate artery embolization was a safe and effective treatment for men unfit for surgery with particularly large prostates >100 mL and urinary retention or blood in their urine associated with BPH.
For most patients, the key measures of success include:
So now you know just how successful prostate artery embolization is, you may be wondering whether you could be a candidate for the procedure.
If BPH is impacting your quality of life it’s vital to understand all your treatment options. Essentially, PAE may be right for you if you’re looking for a less invasive approach with proven success rates.
Discover how PAE can help you get your life back on track without the need for surgery. Contact our team of experts at Mint Stl today for a personalized consultation and to see if you’re a candidate for this innovative procedure. Take the first step toward relief today by scheduling an appointment and finding out more about our advanced treatment options.
