The Latest on Enlarged Prostate Treatments

Are There New Treatments On The Rise For An Enlarged Prostate?

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), also known as an enlarged prostate, is a condition that becomes more likely the older a man gets. If you find yourself traveling to the bathroom more often or are struggling to urinate, it might be time to look into enlarged prostate treatment.

Enlarged prostates are not a new concern, with documented cases existing for centuries. With a condition as common and long-withstanding as this, it’s only natural for there to be a variety of treatment options. Let’s take a look at past treatments and how new options offered at MTV IR address their complications and side effects while still producing favorable results.

Past Enlarged Prostate Treatment Options

Management of BPH has traditionally been divided into two categories: medical and surgical. Choosing the best treatment option requires discussing with your doctor various factors, such as:

• your age
• how much your symptoms interfere with your life
• the size of your prostate
• your overall health
• other medical conditions

With the above information, a doctor could then determine which treatment option was the best choice.

Medical treatments include:

• 5-alpha reductase inhibitors
• alpha-blockers

Surgical options include:

• transurethral surgery
• transurethral incision of the prostate
• laser surgery
• open simple prostatectomy

There are challenges with both these options, though. Medications may take months to see results or require adhering to a strict schedule to continue reaping their benefits. There is also concern regarding their potential to possibly increase prostate cancer risk. In comparison, surgeries can have a long and painful recovery and are not always a good option for patients depending on their health.

Latest Treatment Advances for Enlarged Prostates

The field of enlarged prostate treatment is constantly expanding, primarily driven by patients wanting a long-lasting solution utilizing minimally invasive techniques.

One advancement has been to inject drugs directly into the prostate, with one long-term randomized control trial finding significant benefits with the injection of Botox. However, further evidence is needed before this option can be deemed clinically safe and effective.

Yet another advancement is the prostatic urethral lift, which involves a mechanical implant placed in the prostate that pulls the intruding prostate lobes away, improving men’s flow. What’s promising about this procedure is that, unlike other enlarged prostate surgical treatments, there is minimal ejaculation disruption, which helps to maintain patient fertility and sexual satisfaction.

Yet another minimally invasive treatment option is prostate artery embolization (PAE), in which a catheter is inserted into the artery in your wrist or groin, then guided to the vessels supplying blood to the prostate. From there, tiny particles are injected through the catheter to reduce the blood vessel’s blood supply.

A primary benefit of PAE is that results are seen within just days of the procedure. Even more, its clinical efficacy has shown to be comparable to the current surgical gold standard, transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). Compared to TURP, though, PAE offers fewer complications and side effects and no need for general anesthesia or hospitalization.

If you are interested in taking action against the unpleasant symptoms of your enlarged prostate using one of the latest treatment advances, reach out to MTV IR to learn more about how PAE can help you.

Providing far more benefits for a common condition

A natural problem that men experience as they age is prostate enlargement. A condition also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia

An enlarged prostate can cause symptoms such as urinary incontinence, increased urinary frequency, or pain when urinating. This sends many men searching for a remedy. While multiple treatment options for enlarged prostates exist, prostatic artery embolization (PAE) is a minimally invasive procedure offering easy prostate recovery and significant improvements to those unpleasant symptoms.

For those in the Dallas or Fort Worth area, MTV IR is the clear choice for receiving your PAE procedure.

See the specialists at MTV IR for Prostate Artery Embolization

Coming to MTV IR for your PAE procedure offers many benefits beyond our practice being one of very few that offer this treatment, This is because MTV IR is also one of the only practices that can perform the procedure in the office, non-hospital setting.

Ease of Scheduling
Most medical offices do not have the capability to perform the PAE procedure in-office. Instead, they use hospital facilities. The problem with this arises in attempting to schedule the procedure. Other medical offices may use the same hospital to perform procedures, which may result in limited time slot availability.

In comparison, MTV IR performs all PAE procedures in a non-hospital setting, allowing for greater ease of scheduling and you to experience relief from your symptoms faster.

Less Wait Time

Patients wait significantly less for their procedure when receiving it at an in-house medical office setting. Our volume is not as condensed, ensuring that each patient can be seen when they are scheduled. MTV IR honors your time, which is why it is our goal to be as efficient as possible to get you “in and out” quicker, without sacrificing exceptional care.

No Hospital Drama

MTV IR’s clinic is a welcome location for surgery as it has much fewer patients waiting for a procedure at the same time and no other emergencies that increase activity. This creates a more calming environment for patients before and after their procedure.

PAE & MTV IR: A solution for Enlarged Prostates

For those looking to address the cause of their prostate enlargement through PAE, MTVIR is a clinic proud to offer this effective minimally invasive procedure in-house. By having the facilities needed to perform the procedure at MTVIR, patients do not need to visit the hospital, creating greater ease of scheduling while reducing wait times and surrounding drama.

If you are ready to take action against your enlarged prostate at one of the only clinics offering PAE procedures in-house in the Dallas and Fort Worth area, reach out to MTVIR to schedule a consultation.

Prostate Artery Embolization (PAE) Benefits

When it comes to an enlarged prostate, treatment helps to relieve symptoms and prevent the prostate from growing larger and causing complications.

These complications can include urinary incontinence and kidney problems, which can make you a frequent visitor to the bathroom. We’re talking eight or more visits to the bathroom each day, and each time you urgently feel like you need to go. This isn’t a serious problem, but it can undoubtedly be annoying.

There are many treatment options for an enlarged prostate, but some involve medication that must be taken regularly to continue seeing results. Other options include surgery, which is a highly invasive procedure with a painful and lengthy recovery time.

When it comes to a permanent solution for an enlarged prostate that has a painless and quick recovery, prostate artery embolization (PAE) is a clear choice.

With PAE, small circular particles are injected through a catheter (which is inserted through the urethra) into the vessels supplying blood to the prostate. With less blood flow, the prostate will begin to shrink.

Overall, this procedure offers many benefits, including:

Quick

PAE is a relatively quick procedure, taking anywhere from 1-4 hours depending on the size and location of the prostate arteries. Additionally, PAE is typically performed as an outpatient procedure, so most people who receive PAE can return home the same day, not requiring a hospital stay.

Painless

Since it is a minimally invasive procedure, PAE itself is painless, and most patients only experience mild discomfort following the procedure. However, this discomfort only lasts a few days, with many patients feeling as though they are back to normal in just three days.

In comparison to surgical interventions involving incisions, PAE is also much less painful during recovery.

Quicker Recovery

Compared to invasive surgical procedures requiring incisions, PAE’s recovery time is much faster. In fact, many men can resume their normal activities the next day.

Risk factors for PAD are smoking, high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, diabetes, high cholesterol, and being above the age of 60. Both men and woman are equally affected by PAD. However, African Americans have a greater risk of PAD.

Better Results

Some of the other treatment options, such as some medications, may be able to stop the prostate from growing bigger but cannot undo the growth that has already occurred.

However, with PAE, the prostate begins to shrink immediately, and within a few days, you will notice an improvement in symptoms.

Fewer Complications

Since PAE is a minimally invasive procedure, there are fewer potential complications than there are with invasive surgical procedures. This results in a safer procedure that is not as stressful as other treatments.

Additionally, PAE offers a lower risk of sexual side effects, such as erectile dysfunction, that may occur with invasive surgeries. In fact, some men may find that their sexual function improves after the PAE procedure.

Prostate Artery Embolization for Enlarged Prostates

For those looking for a quick and painless treatment for an enlarged prostate that does not require remembering medication every day, PAE is a top contender. With the short recovery time and fewer complications from the procedure, PAE offers to bring normalcy back to a man’s life as it reverses prostate enlargement and relieves symptoms.

If you are ready to take back control of your life (and make bathroom breaks less frequent), reach out to MTV IR about prostate artery embolization.

References
Pisco, J., Bilhim, T., Pinheiro, L., Fernandes, L., Pereira, J., & Costa, N. et al. (2016). Medium- and Long-Term Outcome of Prostate Artery Embolization for Patients with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: Results in 630 Patients. Journal Of Vascular And Interventional Radiology, 27(8), 1115-1122. doi: 10.1016/j.jvir.2016.04.001

Abt, D., Hechelhammer, L., Müllhaupt, G., Markart, S., Güsewell, S., & Kessler, T. et al. (2018). Comparison of prostatic artery embolisation (PAE) versus transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) for benign prostatic hyperplasia: randomised, open label, non-inferiority trial. BMJ, k2338. doi: 10.1136/bmj.k2338

That’s right, our PAE procedure or Prostate Artery Embolization can treat your enlarged prostate from your wrist.

If you have BPH or Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia you know the symptoms can be both embarrassing and maddening. An enlarged prostate gland can cause frequent or urgent need to urinate, difficulty starting urination, and a weak urine stream or a stream that stops and starts. For most men, living with an enlarged prostate is beyond bothersome, the urinary symptoms often interfere with their daily living.

Unfortunately, most men ignore the issue due to fear of treatment procedures, which makes matters worse because BPH symptoms tend to gradually worsen over time. Given some of the surgical treatment options in the past it’s understandable that fear plays a major factor in any man’s decision process. Luckily, times have changed. MTVIR now offers men a better way to treat BPH.

MTVIR has a safe, painless, non-surgical treatment called Prostate Artery Embolization or PAE. The procedure is performed under light sedation, without the need for general anesthesia. Prostate Artery Embolization involves inserting a microcatheter into a tiny incision in the femoral artery in the groin or the radial artery in your wrist. Yes, the procedure can be done from the patient’s wrist!. X-ray guidance is used to allow the small catheter to be pass into the artery supplying the prostate. Small spheres are then inserted into the artery to block it, causing the abnormal tissue (BPH) to shrink, soften, and become reabsorbed into the body naturally.

So, there is no reason for any man suffering with an enlarged prostate to put off treatment any longer. MTVIR’s Prostate Artery Embolization is safe, effective, and almost painless. To learn more about our PAE procedure click here. If you have questions about our PAE procedure or would like to schedule a free consultation, call us at 469-458-9800 or send us an email.