Has anyone out there had a "Prostate Artery Embolization??

Hi Chuck,

I had one in November 2016, part of the ROPE study (Research On Prosate Embolisation) in Colchester UK. What would you specifically like to know?

In essence it has been a very successful procedure with no side effects at all and with no need for any drugs to supplement it. The study is part of an assessment as to its suitability for making it available as part of the NHS procedures concerning prostate hyperplasia. If my experience is anything to go by I would say it will be a very cheap and effective method for early intervention. it isn't known what the long term is likely to deliver and it may still require further intervention later on. 

I was very disturbed to learn from my Urologist that despite the encouraging results my nocturia may not improve, as this was the major blight to my life (up to 4 timmes a night), this was a major blow. Fortunately this has dramatically improved and may even get better, but if it didn't I would still be very happy indeed. From what I have learned the longer one suffers with hyperplasia the more damage it does to the bladders musculature that might not recover, hence the gloomy prognosis. Part of the study is of course to measure the response to the procedure and as such a battery of tests are part of the study, next week for example I have a follow up Urology exam that will check my flow rate and retention. MRI has shown that the prostate has shrunk by nearly 50% in the first 6 months. I still have some variability in my "performance"  at the urinal, which is something that surprises me but it is still regarded as early days and that changes could occur up to 12 months.

Anything else you wish to know ask away.

Cheers

Ashley

Philip.

I had my PAE treatment procedure done two weeks ago on 07 July 2016 by Prof. Martins Pisco and team at St. Louis Hospital in Lisbon, Portugal. I am 47 years old and was the 1056th PAE treatment procedure patient.

I encountered acute urine retention and associated BPH symptoms and was catheterized in a hospital number of months ago. By then, the ultrasound result showed a very large prostate problem. The medical doctor in consultation with a general surgeon recommended an immediate open surgery. I instead resisted and demanded to think over it. The next day, I visited Urologist while under a catheter. His diagnosis confirmed the same problem of very large prostate. He recommended immediate open prostatectomy and suggested if I could be admitted in the hospital right away. Again, I resisted and demanded to think over it. The Urologist has stated rather gloomy remark that the only solution would be immediate invasive surgery. So, he prescribed Alfuzosin [Xatral] 10mg/day until I make up my mind and recommended to remain under catheter. I began taking the prescribed medicine. However, I instead went back to the previous hospital that catheterized me and my catheter was removed after the third day.

As a process to make up my mind for the open prostatectomy, I continued reading and reviewing literation on the conventional BPH treatments [particularly on Open Prostatectomy]. Unfortunately, my review showed many severe disadvantages and complications such as risks of bleeding, impotence, erectile dysfunction, urinary incontinence, loss of ejaculation, retrograde ejaculation, stricture formation, long hospital stay and recovery period, urinary retention, and many other side-effects that critically reduce my quality of life. The possible prospects of the latter severe side-effects put me under serious stressful dilemma with a sense of hopelessness whether to whether I would undergo the surgery or not.

Nevertheless, I continued my literature review on recent BPH treatments. Just over a month ago, I google searched with ‘BPH treatment 2016”. Then, I suddenly came across with PAE treatment procedure discovery as a breakthrough treatment by interventional radiologists than urologists. It was a turning point to begin getting away from my hopelessness situation. I continued reviewing the PAE treatment literature voraciously and enthusiastically with great interest.

The review led me to discover Prof. Martins Pisco’s ‘International Prostate Medical Centre at St. Louis Hospital’ with detailed broad highlights of PAE treatment procedure [pre-, during, and post PAE], publications, patient testimonials, pictorial photo and video documentation. Almost over 1000 patients were treated under Prof. Martins Pisco by the time I discovered his website. Using the contact address, I immediately sent an e-mail, for which I received prompt reply. I replied to the e-mail by completing the necessary forms plus enclosing supporting documentation. Following receipt of confirmation on my eligibility for PAE treatment procedure, I immediately travelled to Lisbon and began my pre-PAE preparatory diagnosis. Prof. Martins Pisco’s examination and diagnosis included PSA and related blood test, Angiography-CT Scan, Urine-flowmetery, and MRI, which were completed from 04 - 06 July 2016. A day before the actual PAE treatment, he re-confirmed my eligibility for the PAE treatment procedure based on the outcomes of the different diagnosis.

On Thursday 07 July 2017, I underwent the PAE treatment as a 2nd patient out of eleven scheduled for the weekly procedure. As I was undergoing the treatment, the procedure began with a local anaesthesia around my right side femoral artery with a small needle. Then, a 1.5mm needle was used to perform my PAE treatment with a minimally invasive procedure, which was rather painless except minor feeling of discomfort as Prof. Pisco and the professional team performed the procedure. After 30 minutes, I was informed that the embolization of the right side was completed. After another 30 minutes, I was again informed that embolization of the left side was completed. The entire procedure was completed within one hour. Since it was not as such painful, I was interacting with Prof. Pisco and his professional team, requesting them to take memory photos [which I possess them now].

I was moved to a recovery room where I was told to stretch mainly my right side foot where the catheter was inserted. After two hours, I used the wash-room on my own. Since I was alone, Prof. Pisco recommended me to spend the night in the hospital instead of returning to my hotel, which I accepted. In the late afternoon same day, I was already walking inside the hospital’s small nice garden. The next day morning, Prof. Pisco checked me and I returned back to my hotel walking alone a distance of more than 10 minutes alone. The slight feelings of discomfort were all gone within two days and then I was walking in the city centre and around, visiting many nice sight-seeing places in Lisbon.

Overall, my PAE treatment in Lisbon brought me back my hope for a quality of life without any pain and blood loss as well as without any worries of severe risks, disadvantages and complications expected from conventional treatments. The PAE treatment transformed my hopelessness status to one full of hope to enjoy a quality life. I have already begun witnessing the early highly promising positive results. Currently, I stopped taking the medication, including Alfuzosin 10mg. My urine flow has shown significant improvement. The frequency of night urination is limited only to 1-2 times on average depending on the volume of my liquid intake. My personal IIEF-5 function index issues have already begun showing noticeable improvement whereby I am witnessing a happy and healthy quality family life.

I have been witnessing fast improvement after the procedure because the PAE treatment may have contributed to the softening of my prostate tissues and relaxation of the urethra muscles alongside the expected possible reduction in the size of my prostate [which can be measured after 2.5 months]. Currently, I am on my full-time work in the office without much worry of the previously bothering BPH symptoms.  I am enthusiastically looking forward for the 3 months’ progress monitoring test after 2.5 months to support the current promising outcome I am feeling and witnessing now with quantified credible evidences of medical tests and examinations.

I am among those lucky ones who benefitted from this fundamental ground-breaking discovery of PAE treatment procedure by interventional radiologists with their accumulated knowledge, skills, and experience in arterial embolization. This break-through discovery has transformed my hopelessness to full of hope. I have no enough words to express by deepest gratitude to Prof. Pisco and his professional and administrative team for their extra-excellent professional and exemplary human qualities. He and the team members are gifted and blessed to do such a wonderful and fabulous PAE treatment as a simple out-patient procedure to alleviate the sufferings of BPH patients without pain and much worry about risks of complications. Without any sense of exaggeration at all, my PAE treatment was my rebirth, which has provided me back my quality life full of hope. Had I undergone the open prostatectomy as decided by the Urologists, my present life would have been miserable due to the obvious side-effects and complications. I have no enough words to express my gratitude to Prof. Martins Pisco, who saved my life with this effective discovery without any side-effects that I will remember you throughout my entire life

I consider the PAE treatment as a miraculously amazing foundational medical discovery to be nurtured and expanded widely throughout the world so promptly. This enables many BPH sufferers to benefit out of it before they end up risking their quality life under the risky conventional treatments full of irreplaceable side-effects, disadvantages and complications.

Based on my own first-hand most recent experience, I highly recommend to anyone suffering from BPH problems to undergo the PAE treatment procedure in under Prof. Martins Pisco in Lisbon [Portugal] or anywhere in the world where the BPH medical breakthrough service is available. For example Prof. martins Pisco has already treated over 1050 patients from over 75 countries in the world [as learnt from his own words]. All patients, including myself benefited immensely without worries of risks, side-effects, disadvantages and complications of expected from the conventional BPH treatments.

Once again, the above account is from Prof. Martins Pisco’s 1056th patient who underwent PAE treatment procedure on 07 July 2016. I recommend for the prompt expansion and promotion of the risk-free PAE treatment procedure across the world so that all BPH patients benefit out of it.

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