Angioplasty and embolization treatment for benign prostatic hypertrophy

The article was professionally consulted with MSc Vo Thien Ngon - Urologist, Department of General Surgery, Vinmec Da Nang International Hospital.

Along with the great development of the field of imaging and interventional radiology, the method of imaging and embolization to treat benign prostatic hypertrophy with many outstanding advantages is being implemented more and more widely. widely in recent years.

The prostate gland is a sex gland in men, located between the bladder and rectum, hugging the urethral canal.
Prostate consists of 2 packs, when men are young, the prostate is as small as a pea, with no function. As men mature, the prostate gland enlarges, weighing about 20g. The prostate gland helps to secrete fluid, creating a favorable environment for sperm transport, helping to increase the ability to conceive.
Enlarged prostate is a condition in which the prostate gland grows unstable, enlarged in size. Prostate enlargement is a very common disease in men as they age. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the number of sexes with benign prostatic hypertrophy at the age of 60 accounts for 59%, at the age of 70 accounts for 76.9%, and at the age of 80 accounts for 90%. The degree of prostate enlargement in each person is different, some people increase to 30-80g, some people increase the prostate gland to 100-200g. Disorders of male sex hormone testosterone, use of many stimulants, living in a polluted environment, frequent stress, urinary tract infections, ... are possible causes of prostate enlargement.

When the prostate is enlarged, it will put pressure on the urethra, causing urinary disorders. Patients have symptoms such as feeling of needing to urinate, the number of times when urinating increases, but when urinating, there is not enough space, urine remains in the bladder, urination must be strained, weak urine stream, .. Although it is a benign disease, prostate enlargement can cause many complications such as cystitis, urinary tract infection, kidney failure, sexual dysfunction,...

There are different methods that can be used to treat benign prostatic hypertrophy. When the patient shows symptoms of urinary irritation and compression, the doctor will prescribe medical treatment with alpha 1 inhibitors to help relax the smooth muscle of the prostate and bladder neck to help reduce the condition. urethral obstruction due to hypertrophy. Commonly used drugs are Alfuzosin, Terazosin, Doxazosin,...
If medical treatment is not effective, surgical treatment can be switched to open surgery or laparoscopic surgery. Along with the great development of the field of diagnostic imaging and interventional radiology in recent years, patients with prostate enlargement have one more choice, which is the prostate embolization method. With many outstanding advantages, this method is being implemented more and more popularly.

To perform prostate embolization, the patient will be given local anesthesia in the groin area, not general anesthesia, so the patient is fully awake during the procedure. The doctor inserts a small catheter into the iliac artery, selectively scans the branch of the artery that supplies blood to the prostate, and then injects embolized material into that artery. The prostatic artery node cuts off the supply of nutrients to the tumor, causing the tumor to shrink over time, since then the patient's condition is no longer urinary retention, difficulty urinating, frequent urination,... Patients usually improve. symptoms within 24 hours and discharge after 2 days.
Efficacy of prostatic embolization has been shown to be comparable to laparoscopic surgery. However, the embolization method has many advantages such as minimally invasive, no scarring, very small incision of the interventional instrument, equivalent to the tip of a needle. Prostate embolization process is performed under the guidance of digital erasure angiography (DSA) and other modern machines, so it is very safe. Patients recover quickly after the intervention, the short hospital stay helps to reduce treatment costs. In addition, after performing prostatic embolization, the patient has no complications such as urinary incontinence, urinary leakage, retrograde ejaculation,...
When there are symptoms of prostate enlargement such as frequent urinary retention, frequent urination, blood in the urine, .... patients should go to medical facilities to be examined by a doctor and advise on appropriate treatment methods. Treatment needs to be done early and aggressively to avoid dangerous complications of the disease.

Vinmec International General Hospital is a high-quality medical facility in Vietnam with a team of highly qualified medical professionals, well-trained, domestic and foreign, and experienced.
A system of modern and advanced medical equipment, possessing many of the best machines in the world, helping to detect many difficult and dangerous diseases in a short time, supporting the diagnosis and treatment of doctors the most effective. The hospital space is designed according to 5-star hotel standards, giving patients comfort, friendliness and peace of mind.