Prostate Embolization for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) - Minimally invasive therapy | Uniclinic Frankfurt, Germany

Prostatic artery embolization (PAE) is a minimally invasive therapy used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia. The prostate is supplied by the artery to the prostate (arteria vesicalis inferior), and PAE involves blocking the side branches of this artery that supply the prostate with blood. This is done by injecting small particles to stop the blood supply in a process called embolization. This procedure has been used successfully for over 20 years to treat various causes of pelvic bleeding, such as uncontrolled bleeding after prostate surgery or prostate cancer. PAE for benign prostatic hyperplasia was first used in 2008. During the procedure, the groin region is locally anesthetized, and a special needle is used to pierce a very small hole in the blood vessel in the groin. A sheath, which is a guide tube that allows the examination to be carried out without significant blood loss, is then inserted into the hole. A catheter, a thin, flexible special tube, is inserted through the sheath under visual angiographic control. The catheter reaches the blood vessel that supplies the prostate, and the embolization particles are injected into the vessel through the catheter. A new method developed in Frankfurt involves pre-interventional planning of the procedure using magnetic resonance imaging, which leads to a significant reduction in radiation exposure and the volume of contrast medium used. PAE reduces blood flow to the prostate, leading to a reduction in the volume of the prostatic hyperplasia. This results in an improvement in the lower urinary tract symptoms and reversal of the narrowing of the urethra, which is the drainage channel of the urinary bladder. A literature review from 2014 shows a significant improvement in patient symptoms, with a reduction in the degree of symptoms from a score of 23. 31 to a score of 8. 1 after 30 months. The quality of life score also improved significantly from a score of 4. 34 to a score of 1. 85 after 30 months.