PAE

Posted , 12 users are following.

Hi everyone! I'm new in the group. I have an enlarged prostate and my doctor suggests me to get a prostatic artery embolization for the treatment. I need a doctor recommendation and anywhere in the U.S. is fine. Also, I would be really appreciated if you could tell me how much the technique costs. Thank you!

0 likes, 14 replies

14 Replies

  • Posted

    I had a phone conversation with Dr. Mehta at Beth Israel Deaconess in Boston. I was really impressed -- you might check him out!

  • Posted

    Not sure where you are located but Dr. Sandeep Bagla is one the best ones on the east coast.

    My husband has BPH issues and we are going to have a consult with him this week.

  • Posted

    You haven't given much information about your situation.

    What is your age

    How many grams or CCs is your prostate

    Do you have an enlarged median lobe

    What is your post void residual retention

    Waht is your flow rate

    Some of the interventional radiologists I know of are:

    Dr Ari IssacsonUniversity of North Carolina

    Dr Sandeep Bagla Dale City, Virginia

    Andrew PicelPalo Alto, California

    There are many more but they are among the most experienced in PAE.

    Thomas

    • Posted

      Let me add UCLA Justin McWilliams who has done several hundred of these. At the end of 2022, Dr. Picel claimed about 100 PAEs and Dr. McWilliams I believe over 500. Joel Rainwater in Gilbert, AZ is also an expert and has done 400, and also does Gat Goren embolizations.

  • Posted

    I have not gotten the procedure, so cannot vouch for him as such. But Dr. Mouli at Northwestern sounds like he knows what he is talking about. I'm surprised your doc recommends PAE; as you probably know many urologists dismiss it. There are several major university hospitals that do PAE. If I were you (and I might soon be you), I would go to a major research university hospital and one that has performed many of the procedures. There is a learning curve.

  • Posted

    I had a PAE 4 years ago. Completely covered by Medicare and Medicare supplemental. Excellent doctor and staff: Dr Sandeep Bagla in VA.

    • Posted

      RichP, did you have a an enlarged median lobe and if so was Dr Bagla able to take care of it with PAE?

    • Posted

      I don't know if I had an enlarged median lobe. At the time, that had not entered the conversation on the forum as a factor to consider, and Dr Bagla did not raise it as a question either. The PAE helped me marginally, enough to allow me to stop taking meds (tamsulosin), but not as much as I had hoped for. It's now 4 years later, and my symptoms are starting to get worse again, so not sure what road I will go down. Putting off any decision until COVID is behind us. My understanding is that in time the prostate can/will grow after any procedure (except I guess a radical prostectomy (sp?), but that has its own potential serious drawbacks).

    • Posted

      Rich

      You might have heard this already, but one of the reasons symptoms return after PAE is that new blood vessels can grow around the ones that were blocked. And of course the prostate can continue to grow due to hormones or whatever causes the prostate to grow in the first place.

      Thomas

    • Posted

      Yes, I think I had heard that. Thanks.

  • Posted

    I specifically asked Dr Mouli at Northwestern about enlarged median lobe and he said he treats them and has had success. (As I said before, I haven't been treated by him. )

    • Posted

      When I was looking into it, I was told that median lobes (or protrusions into the bladder) would reduce by the same amount as the overall prostate change. So generally could see up to 40% reduction in volume. Is there anything specific that Dr. Mouli does with median lobes with PAE? I'm not sure they can "target" any specific blood vessel pathways.

  • Edited

    Nobody mentioned Dr. Bhatia in Miami. He's an expert in the field. He's doing my PAE late June. He was highly recommended to me. Traveling by plane and 5 nights in a hotel to recuperate. Supposed to be worth it. Good luck, whoever you choose!

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