Introduction: Few studies on prostate artery embolization (PAE) follow patients up after 12 months. We aimed to evaluate the symptomatic efficacy of PAE in our patient cohort at 3 years.
Method: A total of 48 consecutive patients undergoing PAE from June 2012 to August 2014 were included in this retrospective study. All patients underwent formal urodynamics to confirm bladder outflow obstruction prior to PAE. International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) was performed at baseline, 3 months, 12 months and 3 years post-PAE.
Results: Mean patient age was 65.6 ± 7.4, prostate volume 99.1 ± 56.6 cm3, IPSS 23.5 ± 6.0, quality-of-life score 4.6 ± 0.9, Qmax 8.4 ± 2.8 ml/s, post-void residual volume 185.8 ± 55.6 ml. Technical success (bilateral embolization) was achieved in 43 out of 48 cases (89.6%). 11/39 bilateral PAE patients completing follow-up (2 died, 2 lost to follow-up) underwent surgery, indicating a 71.8% clinical success rate at 3 years. No significant change was demonstrated in IPSS or QOL between 1 and 3 years for patients free from surgical intervention (IPSS 8.3 vs 10.0, p = 0.09 and QOL 1.3 vs 1.5, p = 0.23). 3/11 patients undergoing surgery had a prominent 'ball-valve' median lobe, and 1/11 patients had a high bladder neck elevation contributing to symptoms.
Conclusion: Clinical success post-PAE remains high with few patients opting for surgery or experiencing a worsening of symptoms after 12 months.
Keywords: BPH; Clinical; Embolization; Mid-term; PAE; Prostate.