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How is prostatic artery embolization performed?

How effective and eare there any side effects?

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You aretreated in Lyon on an outpatient basisor on a night of hospitalization. More than half of the patients have a post embolization syndrome for 3 to 7 days with bladder irritation and frequent urination.

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In one of the largest series of 630 patients with 5 years of follow-up (3), the symptoms are significantly improved in 85% of cases at 1 and 3 months, again 75% at 5 years. Complications are exceptional thanks to our new radiology rooms but mustbe known (in thesame  series 2 out of 630 patients) and are related to the embolization of an arteryirrigating an organ other than the prostate.  Unlike surgery, there is never retrograde ejaculation, nor a decline in sexual function (which would besame increased according to some studies). Of course, like any treatment, there can always be exceptional cases.

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The main defect of this technique is in fact its technical difficulty, the arteries beingvery petites (especially since the prostate is small), catheterization canbe  complex and long (1h30 average procedure). There is 5% technical failure. She mustbe  performed by an interventional radiologist expert in the manipulation of microphonescatheters, and trained in fine pelvic anatomy to identify any anastomoses to avoid.

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The interventional radiologist sees you again onLyonsor in Visio Consultation at 1 month to judgethe absence  of complications and functional improvement, then at 3 months with a prostate MRI to judge the reduction in the volume ofadenoma.

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A failure orsame  an embolization that does not sufficiently improve the patient does not in any way prevent surgeryafter.

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After several years, the adenoma may enlarge and thesymptoms  urinary obstructions come back, requiring new treatment. Embolization of the adenoma ofprostateshould not change the follow-up you have with your urologist or GPre  the general risk of cancer of theprostate, which is a whole different disease. 

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