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- Prostate artery embolization (PAE)
minimally-invasive
Prostate artery embolization (PAE)
Catheter-based BPH treatment under fluoroscopy. 60-90 minute day procedure, no urethral instrumentation, no catheter for weeks. Travel-friendly recovery — fly home in 5-7 days.
Typical Canadian wait
6–14 months
Canadian private cost
$9,000 – $14,000
Abroad cost (CAD)
$4,000 – $6,000
What it is
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) affects roughly half of men over 50. Conventional surgical options (TURP, HoLEP, Rezūm) work but mean a hospital stay and a urethral catheter for 1-2 weeks. PAE is different — an interventional radiologist threads a catheter from a wrist or groin puncture, navigates to the prostate’s blood supply under fluoroscopy, and embolises it with inert particles. The prostate shrinks over 3-6 months.
- Procedure time: 60-90 minutes
- Hospital stay: Day-procedure, occasionally one overnight
- Recovery to fly home: 5-7 days
- Anaesthesia: Conscious sedation (no general)
- Catheter / lines for days: None
- Complication rate: <1% serious in established hands
Why it travels well
Compared to a knee replacement, PAE has shorter OR time, no hospital stay to speak of, and recovery measured in days rather than weeks. The continuity-of-care complexity is also lower — typically just a 3-month follow-up ultrasound, easily done back in Canada.
What’s included in our quote
- Pre-op review of your urodynamic data (we coordinate with your Canadian urologist)
- The procedure itself, with named interventional radiologist
- One overnight at the partner clinic (occasionally)
- Embolic-agent specs documented for your home physician
- 4-week and 3-month video check-ins
- Direct number for your interventional radiologist for 90 days post
When not
- PSA + biopsy clearance not in the file — we won’t book.
- Moderate kidney impairment — contrast load makes you ineligible.
- Recent acute urinary retention without urology follow-up — needs assessment first.
See also
- [[../blog/keyhole-procedures-pae-and-friends|The most travel-friendly procedure you’ve never heard of]] — full PAE explainer + adjacent IR procedures.
- [[uterine-fibroid-embolization|Uterine fibroid embolization (UFE)]] — same operational shape for women’s BPH-equivalent.
FAQ
Will my urologist accept the workup before referring me?
We won't book a PAE without recent urodynamic data + prostate volume + uroflow + PSA. If your urologist hasn't done that workup, we'll point you to the screening before any travel commitment. The interventional radiologist needs the same data Canadian academic IR units would expect.
How soon does symptom relief kick in?
Most patients notice improvement in nocturia within 4-6 weeks. Stream improvement and post-void residual normalise over 3-6 months. PAE shrinks the prostate gradually — it isn't a next-day fix.
What about retrograde ejaculation?
Major TURP downside that PAE avoids. Sexual function is preserved in PAE in essentially all cases — that's one of the procedure's main appeals.
