Some common signs of BPH include:
- Frequent or urgent need to urinate
- Increase frequency of urination at night
- Difficulty starting urination
- Weak urine stream or stream that starts and stops
- Dribbling at the end of urination
- Inability to completely empty the bladder
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) or Enlargement of the Prostate
Many men over the age of 45 will experience an enlarged prostate. BPH is the most common disease of the prostate gland affecting more than 50% of men in their 60s and as many as 90% in their 70s and 80s.
The prostate is a small gland located beneath the bladder. With continued growth, the prostate can squeeze the tube or urethra that allows urine to pass through and empty the bladder.
An interventional radiologist can treat BPH using prostate artery embolization. This is a minimally invasive procedure where the radiologist will direct embolizing agents to the arteries leading to the prostate. He/she will then inject these agents to slow or stop the blood flow to the prostate. Once the blood flow decreases, the prostate will begin to shrink.
