"Gat-Goren" - like procedure to cure BPH? My diary

On May 2nd I will be undergoing a bilateral embolization (or sclerotization) of my internal spermatic veins ( gonadal veins ) in an attempt to cure my BPH disease. So I just wanted to start a record here of my experience.

Here is some background.

Drs. Gat and Goren are interventional radiologists in Israel who have been treating infertility in men for many decades. They noticed over the decades that when they embolized incompetent internal spermatic veins (ISVs) which caused the varicoceles in these men, that many men who had BPH were also cured of their BPH symptoms.

They noticed that every man who had BPH also had varicoceles in one or both testes. They theorized that the high back pressure from these very long (35cm) failed veins which drain the testes and the prostate was causing very high concentrations free testosterone to bath the prostate. This growth hormone they claimed was the cause of the hyperplasia of the prostate. So by sealing these long veins the "fuel" that is driving the prostate "fire" will be cut off and the prostate will return to normal.

I have some papers on this procedure and some clinical trials and I will list them later on. If anyone wants them PM me with your email and I'll send them to you.

So there is another forum started in 2012 which documents at least 18 men from around the world who went to Israel for this procedure. Most had their BPH cured. Of course it was very very expensive.

That is the beauty about the GG procedure - it offers a cure for BPH and not just symptom relief. BUT it is considered very very experimental. Even the interventional radiologists (IR) do not believe in it. So here is the point of all this. The GG procedure is just the basic treatment for varicoceles. So if you have been diagnosed with these awful things then a good IR can emolize them with a few caveats (like sealing any collaterals that opne up during the procedure) and the procedure is covered by insurance.

So last month I decided to get checked out for varicoceles. I had a scrotal color doppler bilateral ultrasound nd sure enough there were 2 big honkers there. They have been bothering me for years - I have to sit on soft pads all the time and pull up my scrotum frequently. Apparently varicoceles increase the weight of the scrotum because of blood pooling which causes the "balls to drop".

Here is my brief bio: I am 68 with BPH for over 20 years. I am on alfuzosin and dutasteride these past 13 years. I had a PAE last summer which was a huge technical success but a clinical failure as my IPSS score has remained at 30. I learned intermittent self-cathing from jimjames here (CIC) last Fall and perform it 4 times a day. My natural voids are 150ml and the cathing voids are 250ml. If it weren't for CIC I would have had my 180 gm prostate out a year ago. I have no bladder neck obstructions or other complications. The PAE did reduce my prostate from 280 to 180 gm but all the tissue reduction was away from the urethral constriction where i matters. I have been tested for prostate cancer many times and am ok.

So that's it. Please feel free to post any comments or questions. If the GG procedure works then it takes from 6 months to a year to see results. That is why I am grateful for CIC to keep my bladder/kidneys healthy in the meantime. If GG fails after a year then I will likely try FLA with Dr. K in Houston.

Take care

Neil

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