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Radiation risks with PAE

Posted , 11 users are following.

mal7896
mal7896

I have been trying to decide whether it best I have PAE or Urolift to help with my BPH symptoms (60g prostate, urinary retention, nocturia) I had almost decided on PAE after reading so many positive reviews, but now I am concerned about the levels of radiation, because over the past 10 years i have had countless CT's (about 30) due to various health issues.

I have been unable to find the exact amount of radiation involved with PAE, but I believe the procedure is done with fluoroscopy which takes in excess of 2 hours, in addition to the initial angiogram.

A standard chest CT is 7mSv, and I have read that a lengthy fluoroscope is in excess of 50 mSv.  For a 2 hour+ procedure, it may well be much more than 50mSv I would imagine.  That is a lot of radiation!

Anyone care to comment on the radiation risks or otherwise of PAE?

0 likes, 34 replies

34 Replies

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  • kenneth1955
    kenneth1955 mal7896

    Posted

    I had a Urolift 4 months ago and I am fine.  The first week was the worst.  There was a guy on here Chuck had a pae and it did not work cost of $10.000.  Ended up have the urolift Much better and he is happy with it.  Ken
    • william79680
      william79680 kenneth1955

      Posted

      Kenneth,

      There are many people on here and other forums that had bad results with UroLift as well. There are also many who had great results with both PAE and Urolift. Please stop quoting that there is ONE guy on here that had trouble with PAE every time someone posts on the forum. You are doing a disservice to those seeking information. Please respond with your own positive results with Urolift as I have with PAE. If someone who had bad results with any procedure wants to respond that's Ok and it gives others the information they need to make informed decisions. 

    • kenneth1955
      kenneth1955 william79680

      Posted

      There is bad and good with all procedure.  I talk to chuck all the time on the phone.  He did have a bad time with PAE and it was alot of money. All is good with the urolift  that he had.  All I am saying is that not all procedures work for everyone.  Before you try anything you need all the information you can get and trust in your doctor that he is doing good by you.  Ken  PS.  I only talk to one guy but there are many.  
  • brian80792
    brian80792 mal7896

    Posted

    What's PAE...sorry I don't know. Brian
    • mal7896
      mal7896 brian80792

      Posted

      Prostate Artey Embolization. If you do a search there is heaps about it on the forums
  • william79680
    william79680 mal7896

    Posted

    Mal,

    i spoke with the radiologist who performed my PAE this morning. A fluoroscope is used, but is not on for the whole procedure. Risks from accumulated radiation are minimal for an adult. Radiation is most intense when dye contrast is inserted, but the levels are much lower the rest of the time.

     

  • bill58162
    bill58162 mal7896

    Posted

    just a heads up on urolift. I am 14 weeks post op. I was on 4 mg flomax for approx 5 weeks after the op and was able to pee adequately, (not any normal flowing mind you) somewhere about the 8th week that slowed down to the point it would take me 8 minutes standing at the toilet to pee. I had to exert so much pressure that  I started blowing out hemmoroids. Now I am on 8mg of flowmax, just as i was prior to surgery that makes it possible for me to pee. It usually takes 3 trips over a period of 1/2 hour to totally eliminate. I had 5 staples shot into my prostate.I am now scheduled to go back for further or alternative treatment.
  • bill58162
    bill58162 mal7896

    Posted

    Hi, this response is just to let you know that urolift is not a sure fire remedy. I had the procedure done 14 weeks ago with five clips installed and enjoyed briefly (8 weeks approx.) some relief. I am now back on 8mg of flomax just so i can pee again. It got back to the point where I was standing and exerting immense presurre for 8 minutes just so I could start to pee in a trickle.....not the normal results from what I'm reading, but mine nevertheless......hope this helps in your decision......bill
  • michael72708
    michael72708 mal7896

    Posted

    I had the Urolift about a year ago. After a month or 2 I started having bladder and kidney issues. I started cathing to take pressure off and developed a UTI and my bladder completely stopped working. A nephrologist told me it was probably urethral trauma from the Urolift affected my bladder that had a pretty high retention. That's the bad news. Good news is that after tamsulosin and cathing my bladder started working again and I have no urgency or frequency during the day...I don't even think about it. Still wake up once or twice a night but if I cath before bed I sleep all night. So a rough ride but in the end I'm pleased. That's the URolift's problem...it doesn't necessarily affect retention.

    As to PAE, I had an appointment but decided to wait. I was afraid of the radiation...supposedly equivalent to 200 chest xrays at one time. But I was also afraid of the contrast dies they use...they can affect the kidneys and mine were slightly compromised during the Urolift.

    • peter06599
      peter06599 michael72708

      Posted

      Michael, you mentioned that your bladder had a pretty high retention and that Urolift doesn't affect retention. Could you explain what retention is and what retention is all about? Thank you! Peter
    • michael72708
      michael72708 peter06599

      Posted

      Retention is the amount of urine left in your bladder after you pee also called PVR (post void residual). As BPH developes and the prostate enlarges it starts to squeeze the urethra and the bladder begins to enlarge like a baloon that's squeezed. Holding this excess urine can stretch the bladder to where it no longer functions properly. It can thicken or become flaccid lose the ability to signal urination time etc. When you go to the urologist and they have you pee and then do a quick sonagram of your bladder, they can generally test your residual urine or retention. One of the positive side effects of most of the prostate procedures, whether invasive or not, is that they eliminate the retention issue by removing some of the prostae tissue squeezing the urethra. For some reason the urolift helps with many of the bph symptoms (urgency and frequency) but doen't address the retention issue as well. So basically, to me, the urolift buys you some time but most people will eventually have to go on to some other procedure to deal with retention. Many people seem to be able to get off the prostate drugs with urolift. Back to the retention issue. You can retain a lot of urine....even up to a liter or more...and be fine. The danger is that the bladder could be compromised or the kidneys could be affected or UTI's develope.Most urologists at 3 or 400 ml of retention want you to cath or for them to do a turp etc. Instead You can have occasional kidney blood  tests, BUN and creatinine or non invasive kidney sonagram and if they are ok you can wait. Urolift eventually worked for me along with Tamsulosin and pretty much daily cathing which I'm doing to protect bladder and kidneys. I have 3-400 ml of retention currently and am cathing because of the kidney issues.... I had (mild hydronephrosis). I'm using CIC, clean intermittent catherization, until I find a minimally invasive procedure with virtually no side effects . I'm not convinced as of now, with the amount of radiation and exposure to contrast dies, that the PAE qualifies. I't seems like the best thing out there that insurance covers but after all the side effects I had initially with the Urolift I decided I don't want to be an early adapter.
    • peter06599
      peter06599 michael72708

      Posted

      Michael, thanks for the explanation. One thing that puzzles me is why would there be retention if the uretha tube is now opened by the Urolift procedure? If the prostate is no longer squeezing closed the uretha than what would cause retention? Has anyone else out there experienced retention after Urolift?
    • kenneth1955
      kenneth1955 peter06599

      Posted

      What happen sometime is that a stricture can happen.  Anytime you stick something in the urethra it can happen.  I have a stricture form kidney stone surgery.     When I had the uro-lift done ( April ) it may have made the stricture worse  Pee great when I have it done for months like when I was younger. but now the steam is smaller and take a while to get done.  Having a scope to check next month.  If that's it going to have a balloon dilation done to brake it up.  Ken  
    • peter06599
      peter06599 kenneth1955

      Posted

      Thanks Ken. Am getting ready for the Urolift on November 9th still. I still think Urolift beats TURP. I don't like the idea of lasering out so much tissue. Rather leave the uretha tube as natural as possible. Not that 4 pins shot through it is natural, but scrapping or burning out tissue sure seems worse to me. I'll find out soon enough.

       

    • kenneth1955
      kenneth1955 peter06599

      Posted

      I don't think any man like to have things push up there and to have things cut away not for me.  I will be thinking of you on that day.  Having my gallbladder out the same day  Take care  Ken
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