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

Posted , 210 users are following.

ChuckP
ChuckP

I had one on September 10th, 2014 and would love to compare notes with anyone else that has had one.   Thank You.  ChuckP   PS Some people just call it a "PAE" for short.

8 likes, 2499 replies

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  • PAEdoc
    PAEdoc ChuckP

    Posted

    Dr. Sandeep Bagla is performing PAE at virignia vascular institute in Woodbridge VA. 
    • Camster
      Camster PAEdoc

      Posted

      Thank you. Wondered where he moved to.
    • Camster
      Camster PAEdoc

      Posted

      Called there. Went through several people, but he is there. Will start seeing patients next Wednesday. Awaiting a callback for price schedule for cash pay.
    • Camster
      Camster PAEdoc

      Posted

      Here is information on Dr. Bagla.  He returned my call 9 pm last night.  We talked for 25 minutes.  He said he started another practice at Virginia Vascular Institute.  It is an outpatient setting rather than a hospital.  He no longer has ties with Inova Hospital.  He thinks costs can be better controlled in an outpatient setting.  He said he has done around 300 PAEs.  He recommends having PAE done by someone that has done preferably at least 50 procedures though there probably aren't that many doctors that have logged this many.  He is now taking new patients.  Thanks PAEdoc for letting us know where he is now practicing.  
    • bill80656
      bill80656 Camster

      Posted

      Thanks good to know where he is.

      Still very happy with my PAE.

  • arthur4422
    arthur4422 ChuckP

    Posted

    I am now at the one month point, post the PAE procedure (my prostate was huge , 357cc).  My PAE was done by Dr, Sterling at INOVA Alexandria, VA.  I can report moderate improvement of symptoms.  Flow initiation takes less time.  Flow rate is moderately stronger.   Prostate shrinkage will play out over 6 or more months, so I am looking forward to more improvement.
  • joseph06067
    joseph06067 ChuckP

    Posted

    I an an 80 year old 280 pound male. I had the procedure on May 29, 2015. I was catheterized for 10 days after the procedure although I could urinate on my own after three days  My prostate was 363cc's before the procedure and reduced to 278cc's after per an MRI in October. I have had little pain except little shooting pains in the groin area followed by bloodand blood clots in the urine on three separate occasions for a period of three days each time at two month intervals each time.Neither my urologist or my PCP had any prior experience with the Procedure but both concluded the discharges were dead tissue from my prostate, I have good urine flow and get up once a night to urinate, Blue Cross Premera Paid 80% of the cost, I consider the procedure to be a great success and recomend it.

    Joe H

    • arlington
      arlington joseph06067

      Posted

      Thanks Joe.  How many months after the procedure did you have your most significant improvement?  ...and how long did it continue to improve?  I'm 6 weeks out but haven't noticed much yet.
    • joseph06067
      joseph06067 arlington

      Posted

      Hi Arlington,

      Immediately after they removed the catherter after ten days, I had a muchbetter urine stream and was emptying my bladder better. My urine stream has improved since then following each bloody dicharges [url=https://patient.info/forums/discuss/has-anyone-out-there-had-a-prostate-artery-embolization--301859?page=2#] Reply to arlingtonYour reply to arlingtonam and was

  • johnsv6
    johnsv6 ChuckP

    Posted

    Really thought I had made it through the system when the new Veterans Choice program came on line. Had been waiting months for my VA urologist to make a referral over to UNC, but wasn't getting anywhere. Funny, as the urologist is a graduate of same. Anyway, Veterans Choice called and said they had booked me an appointment with Chapel Hill and I was to hear a confirmation in a few days. When it came it was for a Urological consult and I spent the nextfew days on the phone trying to get it straightened out. Had to cancel 2 appointments they had made and then waited almost 2 months to hear back. When I called them, I was told, "We're so sorry..seems you have fallen through the cracks." Still waiting. Point of this message was to address size and I think I've got the prize..240 gms!  Seems like that in itself ought to qualify for a paper in treatment of LARGE prostates, hmmm?  Had a scare this morn as I couldn't go. Got to say here that if I ever have another incident like the last one, I will definitely think about leaving Mother Earth as it was THE MOST PAINFUL THING I have EVER undergone. Wound up in hospital and had to have a catheter inserted. If I had had enough room in my room, I would have got a running start at a wall and hit it head first...Warm water with a 1/2 tspoon of baking soda and some muscle relaxers seem to help, along with some massage of abdominal area. I take beta sitosterol, saw palmetto, selenium, zinc and the prescription tamsulosin. I am also on oxycodone for back pain and I think that I understand it causes prostate problems. What a choice, pain with or pain without...Happy Hanukah and Merry Christmas everyone!!   JV from Roxboro, North Carolina
    • bob120
      bob120 johnsv6

      Posted

      Hi John,

      Sorry for your troubles but glad to see another giant prostate case like my own. Very little is posted and there seems very little info on giant prostates. Presently mine is 203G., down from 300G. before my turp in April. In the past 3-12 years I've had two greenlight lasers and a turp, and my prostate just keeps growing back. Twice it's been in the 300G+ range. I figure it must be growing at the rate of about 50-60% a year. My uro's solution is just to keep cutting, but at 69 I'm not happy with the outlook of getting a turp every couple of years. If the prostate doesn't kill me, I'm pretty sure the surgeries eventually will.

      Regarding being in retention, I was there before my first Greenlight. When I finally goit to the ER and they cathed me, I had 1400ml of urine come out into the bag. It was really, really painful waiting to be cathed, as you know. When I got back from the ER I resolved to learn to cath myself, which I did a few dozen times. over the next few years. The first time is dicey, like nailing jelly to a wall, but I went on line and learned to do it. I started with the 12FR size, straight, single use sterile cath packed in water (these are known as hydrophillic caths and need no lubrication, once they hit the air they self lubricate -  a big plus). There are two points to gently push these 14"  caths through, the start of the prostate which is about 8-10 inches in, and the bladder mouth which is about 9 to 13 inches in.  Once you pass the bladder mouth, go in another inch and you will start to drain. When done, gently pull it out and throw it away. There's a lot of plumbing inside, and my caths went in almost the whole 14". At less than $2 each these caths are a life saver. Eventually my blockage caused the size 12FR cath to bend and compress rather than pass through, so I moved up to a size 14FR cath which always made it through with a little gentle pressure and twisting. AT first I was scared to cath myself, but then learned that many children have to learn to self cath because of various conditions, so I just studied the diagrams on line and gave it a go. 

      It wasn't until I experienced a couple of bad hematurias, that clotted up that I had to rely on the ER to insert a 3 way irrigating cath, but that's another story.

    • bob120
      bob120

      Posted

      p.s.  That should have said in the past 3-1/2 years I've had two greenlight laser turps and a standard turp.
    • bob120
      bob120

      Posted

      p.p.s. I should have added that after my last uro visit a month ago, I started on dutasteride (Generic Avodart) which is supposed to shrink the prostate about 25% in 6 months and keep it from growing as long as you keep taking it. I am also considering a PAE, which is now available in New Jersey at Hackensack University Medical Center. But I'm going to give the dutasteride 6 months and then get another ultra sound, before deciding on the next step. Not everyone can get a PAE, it depends on what the MRI shows in terms of how straight the arteries and veins are to the prostate. 
  • arthur4422
    arthur4422 ChuckP

    Posted

    PAE Post Procedure Report (2 months)

    My PAE was done on Oct 7, 2015 at INOVA in Arlington, VA.

    The First month produced improved flow rate and longer times between voiding.

    Second month went from no further improvement to a slight worsening of symptoms until I took some anti-imflammatory supplements Ibuprofen and MSM.  Now I'm back on track for month 3.  I suspect that I had a mild flareup of prostatitis that the anti-inflammatories tamped down.  Worth noting, during the prostatitis, I did a self catheterization, and my urine retention was amazingly low (25cc).  Before PAE, my retention varied between 150cc and 400cc.  That's a huge change.

    • arlington
      arlington arthur4422

      Posted

      Hi Arthur,

      How many milligrams of ibuprofen and MSM did you take?  for how long?

      Thanks

    • arthur4422
      arthur4422 arlington

      Posted

      For the Ibuprofen, I took 400mg at four hour intervals for one day.

      For the MSM, I took 2,000mg, twice a day for two days.

      MSM is a nutritional supplement that has anti-inflammatory action and works synergistically with glucosamine to re-build cartilage in body joints.  I regularly take at least 1,000 mg per day for controlling osteoarthritis.

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