Prostate artery embolization (PAE)

Benign prostatic hyperplasia ( enlarged prostate ) is a common condition, occurring in over 50% of men older than 50 years. This condition means an enlargement of the prostate, with consequent compression of the urethra. When this disease becomes symptomatic the treatment is necessary. Drugs therapy is the first choice treatment and is effective in patients with mild / medium symptoms. If after 6 months of drug therapy there is no satisfactory symptom relief, other therapeutic approaches must be considered: classical surgical intervention – prostatectomy ( for prostate of a volume over 100 cc ) or minimally invasive transurethral resection procedure TURP – for a prostate volume up to 80-100 cc). However both techniques are associated with a significant complication rate. Alternative solutions to TURP include transurethral ablation using laser or ultrasound.