Medication Vs Surgical intervention.

Hi Drummer,

To which drug do you refer, Tamsulosin or Finasteride?

You obviously went on to a surgical procedure by way of PAE so, presumably, drugs were of no help to you. I hope the PAE works and you do not need to try anything else.

Best wishes.

Hi Michael,

I totally agree with you in that none of the choices are easy, there are pros and cons to each and every one.

Take care.

Re: PAE radiation

From an email that I received from Dr Bagla's office in August 2016 regarding my question about PAE radiation exposure:

The radiation involved for the procedure is less exposure than a typical CT-scan study.

Rich

Thanks. I've researched rad dose for abdominal CT and PAE

I don't have the numbers at my access right now but I do recall PAE is 5x the dose of a CT of the abdomen

IIRC it is CT = 10 mSv and PAE = 50 mSv

Am responding on my phone

When I'm on my laptop I'll look into further

I seem to recall another paper reporting PAE at 2400 mGy

Of course, one has to know how to perform all of the conversions: Sv, Gy, rad, etc

Michael

Also, was that Dr Bagla himself responding or his asst Julie?

Hi Michael,

I think we had this conversation (at least part of it) recently in another thread. The email I quoted was from Julie, but there were several follow-up emails between her and me regarding this. Happy to post them if you'd like to see them. I also spoke with Dr B several times, but don't specifically recall whether we talked about radiation.

Perhaps you should contact his office or him to discuss further. Your knowledge of radiation is light years ahead of mine, and I for one would be interested to get copied on that conversation.

Rich

You Guys are worried about minimal radiation from modern equipment for a PAE!! Can I say Wimps 😃

Let me tell you my X-Ray history that I can remember.

When I was seven I was knocked down by a truck and had a dislocated hip and was

in plaster from foot to chest and had several X-Rays on the old dirty machines

including a head one. Not connected I developed Perthes Disease of my left hip

the next year. I was in hospital with that for two years, two months and two

weeks. During that time I probably had four X-Rays every four to six weeks to

monitor progress. From ten to eighteen I had six monthly follow ups X-Rays and

consultations. In the past twenty five years with arthritis developing and

threats of a hip replacement another four of five X-Rays and a few on my knee.

I've also had at least four Barium Swallow X-Rays when I’ve had ulcers and

monitoring my hiatus hernia. Also three barium enema X-Rays and recent X-Ray on

my hand after an accident. I nearly forgot many dental X-Rays, back X-Rays and

CT scans. I had an X-Ray in Switzerland when I broke a metatarsal when the

German radiologist put a lead apron over me to protect my manhood 😃 I almost forgot when I was a kid shoe shops used to have X-Ray machine to check your shoe fit. We all loved that spent more time than needed in them wiggling our toes.

More radiation from two angiograms and a procedure to implant an Amplatzer amulet in my left atrial appendage. I don’t glow in the dark, don’t have cancer and am now 85.

My prostate problems are hopefully behind me as I had GL during it's UK trials in 2004 and when it regrew Thulium/Holmium laser surgery in 2013. Both easy peasy procedures with no after problems.

well good for you ! lol

With all the bad luck you have had during your life have you ever collected liability insurance or filed a lawsuit?

Who compensates for bad luck ?

I went into AF after my aortic valve replacement in 2012. Cardioversion put me back in NSR but during a colonoscopy the probe stimulated my vagus nerve and put me back into AF. Another cardioversion put me back into NSR until I had a DRE four years ago that also stimulated my vagus nerve putting me back into AF. Now my atrium is said to be too big for a cardioversion to now work.

I had a pacemaker fitted and my lung was punctured during it... the most painful experience I ever had. As I have posted here many times the Cipro and Fluoroquinolones I have been prescribed have caused Fluoroquinolone Toxicity Syndrome and neuropathy causing walking difficulty.

However I can pick winning shares and horses. If only I could still travel and spend my gains and winnings.

Derek,

Next to you, sir, I am a wimp and you'll get no argument from me. 😃

wow, you've been through a LOT

I've had an angiogram but I don't think I've had CT scans. Plenty of x-rays (chest, hand, dental, knee, low back, abdomen). One thing about x-rays is that the radiation dose is spread out whereas a CT of the abdomen w/ contrast is around 20 mSv at once, and PAE is more than 50 mSv in a single dose.

Still, you've had a lot of x-rays.

The risk of overall cancer from PAE is small, and represents about a 2% increase in lifetime cancer incidence, but it does not say what % increase for specific cancers (e.g., bladder or prostate from the imaging done during PAE). At 60, with a possible life expectancy of 70-80, I do have to measure long-term risk vs. immediate benefit. And, with PAE, for a lot of men - and according to studies - the benefit is not seen until 6-12 months when PAE equals TURP.

BTW, the IRs who do PAE are suited up with lead when they do the procedure.

Michael

Yes they are well protected. The managers and staff of the shoe shops with foot X-Ray machines were not and they had a very high incidence of cancers.

Actually I've been through a lot more plus of course air raids during the war but not as bad as my wife who lived in London during the Blitz and the V1 and V2 rockets. Another ticking bomb is my slowly growing aortic aneurysm.