Prostate Artery Embolization: An Alternative to Prostate Surgery

Dr. Ryan Kohlbrenner and his team use specialized techniques to perform prostate artery embolization (PAE), a procedure being increasingly used in the United States to treat prostate gland enlargement and its associated urinary symptoms. Through a small incision in the upper thigh, access to the prostate's blood vessels is gained, and small particles are injected to slow the blood flow to the gland. In the weeks and months following PAE, the prostate relaxes and shrinks, resulting in symptom relief for most men. Although conventional prostate surgery can be associated with complications like impotence and incontinence, PAE is a minimally-invasive alternative that is not known to cause these issues. We are happy to now offer this procedure to UCSF patients.