Am I a candidate for PAE for enlarged prostate?

If you have moderate to severe symptoms of an enlarged prostate and want to avoid the risks of surgery, you are likely a good candidate for PAE. A consultation with our San Diego area specialists will confirm the best BPH treatment for you.

Is PAE covered by insurance?

Yes, PAE as a BPH treatment is covered by Medicare and most private insurance plans. Our team will handle benefit verification and pre-authorization for you.

How does PAE compare to TURP surgery?

PAE offers comparable symptom relief to surgical options like TURP but with a much faster recovery, no hospital stay, and a significantly lower risk of sexual side effects or incontinence.

What areas do you serve for BPH treatment?

From our offices in Oceanside and Escondido, we are proud to offer advanced BPH treatment to men throughout San Diego County, including San Diego proper, La Jolla, Del Mar, Rancho Bernardo, and all surrounding communities.

Are uterine fibroids cancerous?

No. Fibroids are noncancerous in more than 99 percent of cases. It's extremely rare for a fibroid to be or become cancerous.

Can uterine fibroids affect fertility?

Depending on their size and location, fibroids can sometimes affect fertility or pregnancy, though many women with fibroids conceive and carry pregnancies without complications. If fertility is a concern, it's worth discussing treatment options that preserve the uterus.

Do fibroids go away on their own?

Fibroids often shrink after menopause as hormone levels decline, but they typically don't disappear on their own during a woman's reproductive years.

Enlarged Prostate (BPH): Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment Options for San Diego County Men

Advanced, Non-Surgical Relief from the Symptoms of BPH

Minimally Invasive BPH Treatment in San Diego

An enlarged prostate, known medically as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), is one of the most common conditions affecting men as they age. It is not cancer, and it is not a sign that something has gone wrong in the body. It is simply a natural part of the aging process for the prostate gland, much like changes that occur in other tissues over time. Still, the symptoms it causes, frequent urination, a weak stream, and disrupted sleep, can significantly affect daily life.

This guide walks through what BPH is, why it happens, how it’s diagnosed, and the full range of treatment options available today, so that men across San Diego County can make an informed decision about their care in partnership with a urologist or interventional specialist.

What Is an Enlarged Prostate?

The prostate is a small, walnut-sized gland located below the bladder that surrounds the upper part of the urethra, the tube that carries urine out of the body. As men age, the prostate gland tends to grow larger, a process that typically begins in a man’s thirties and continues gradually throughout life. In many men, this growth eventually presses on the urethra, restricting the flow of urine and producing the symptoms associated with BPH.

BPH is extremely common. It affects roughly half of men between the ages of 51 and 60, and up to 90 percent of men over the age of 80.

What Causes an Enlarged Prostate?

The exact cause of BPH isn’t fully understood, but most research points to hormonal changes that occur with age, particularly shifts in testosterone and estrogen levels. Family history also appears to play a role, as does the presence of certain other health conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. BPH is not caused by, and does not increase the risk of, prostate cancer, though the two conditions can occur at the same time and share some overlapping symptoms, which is part of why a proper diagnosis matters.

A Better Approach to BPH Treatment in San Diego

Targeted BPH Symptom Relief

Our advanced procedures are designed to resolve the most common symptoms of an enlarged prostate, including frequent urination, weak stream, and nocturia (waking at night to urinate).

Minimally Invasive, Not Major Surgery

PAE is performed in an outpatient setting through a tiny puncture, not a large incision. Most San Diego patients return home the same day and get back to their lives within a week.

Preserve Your Quality of Life

A key reason San Diego men choose our BPH treatment is the significantly lower risk of sexual side effects, such as erectile dysfunction or incontinence, compared to surgical options.

San Diego’s PAE Specialists

While many urologists offer medications or surgery, our interventional radiologists are San Diego County’s experts in Prostate Artery Embolization, a highly specialized BPH treatment.

Symptoms of an Enlarged Prostate

Because the prostate surrounds the urethra, its growth directly affects urination. Common symptoms include:

A frequent or urgent need to urinate.
Increased urination at night (nocturia).
A weak or interrupted urine stream.
Difficulty starting urination.
A sensation that the bladder hasn’t fully emptied.
In more advanced cases, urinary retention or blood in the urine.

Symptoms often develop slowly over several years, which means many men adjust their habits around them rather than seeking care. Left unaddressed, though, an enlarged prostate can eventually contribute to bladder damage, recurrent urinary tract infections, or kidney problems, so it’s worth having any of these symptoms evaluated, even if they seem mild or manageable for now.

How Is BPH Diagnosed?

Diagnosing BPH usually starts with a conversation about symptoms and a physical exam, including a digital rectal exam to assess the size and shape of the prostate. A doctor may also recommend:

A urinalysis, to rule out infection or blood in the urine.
A PSA (prostate-specific antigen) blood test, to help rule out prostate cancer.
A urinary flow study, which measures how quickly and completely the bladder empties

Imaging, such as an ultrasound or MRI, to evaluate the size of the prostate and guide treatment planning

How PAE Provides BPH Relief Without Surgery

Prostate Artery Embolization is an image-guided procedure performed by our interventional radiology specialists. Under light sedation, a tiny catheter is guided through the wrist or groin to the arteries supplying the prostate. Microscopic, FDA-approved particles are then injected to reduce blood flow to the overgrown tissue. This causes the prostate to soften and shrink, relieving the pressure on the urethra and resolving urinary symptoms.

The entire procedure takes about 1-2 hours
It is performed in our comfortable outpatient center.
No general anesthesia or surgical incisions are required.

Treatment Options for an Enlarged Prostate

Treatment for BPH depends on how much the symptoms are affecting daily life, and there's no single right answer for every man. Options generally fall into a few categories.

Watchful Waiting and Lifestyle Changes

For mild symptoms, many doctors recommend simply monitoring the condition, along with lifestyle adjustments such as limiting fluids before bedtime and reducing caffeine or alcohol intake.

Medications

Alpha-blockers and 5-alpha reductase inhibitors are commonly prescribed to relax the muscles around the prostate or slow its growth. These can be effective for many men, though they need to be taken indefinitely and can carry side effects such as dizziness or reduced libido.

Minimally Invasive Procedures

For men with moderate to severe symptoms who want to avoid daily medication or major surgery, several minimally invasive options have emerged in recent years, including prostate artery embolization (PAE), which works by reducing blood flow to the enlarged portion of the prostate so it shrinks naturally, without incisions or a hospital stay.

Surgery

For men with severe symptoms, or when other treatments haven’t worked, surgical options such as a transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) remove excess prostate tissue directly. Surgery tends to be highly effective but comes with a longer recovery and a higher risk of side effects such as incontinence or sexual dysfunction compared with less invasive options.

Why San Diego County Men Are Increasingly Choosing PAE

Interest in prostate artery embolization has grown steadily across San Diego County as more men learn that an effective, lasting treatment for BPH doesn’t have to mean surgery. Because PAE is performed entirely through a small puncture in the wrist or groin, it avoids the incisions, general anesthesia, and extended recovery time associated with surgical alternatives, while offering a meaningfully lower risk to sexual function than options like TURP.

If you’re exploring your treatment options, you can learn more about prostate artery embolization in Oceanside & Escondido, including how the procedure works, who’s a candidate, and what recovery looks like.

Finding Care for BPH in San Diego County

If you’re considering treatment for an enlarged prostate, it’s worth looking for a provider with specific experience in the option you’re interested in. For men exploring PAE, that means seeking out an interventional radiologist, a physician trained specifically in image-guided, minimally invasive procedures, rather than relying solely on a general urology practice that may not offer the procedure at all.

North County Vascular & Interventional is one of the few practices in the region with board-certified interventional radiologists specifically trained in PAE, with offices serving patients throughout San Diego County, including Oceanside and Escondido.

When to See a Doctor

Most BPH symptoms develop gradually and aren’t a medical emergency, but certain signs warrant prompt evaluation, including blood in the urine, complete inability to urinate, recurrent urinary tract infections, or fever accompanied by urinary symptoms. If you experience any of these, contact a doctor right away rather than waiting for a routine appointment.

Frequently Asked Questions About Enlarged Prostate Treatment

Is an enlarged prostate the same as prostate cancer?

No. BPH is a noncancerous condition and does not increase your risk of developing prostate cancer, though the two can occur at the same time and share some symptoms, which is why a proper evaluation matters.

Can an enlarged prostate be prevented?

There’s no proven way to prevent BPH, since it’s primarily driven by age-related hormonal changes. Maintaining a healthy weight and staying physically active may help reduce the severity of symptoms for some men.

Does diet affect BPH symptoms?

Diet doesn’t cause BPH, but reducing caffeine, alcohol, and fluid intake in the evening can help ease nighttime urinary symptoms for many men.

How do I know which treatment option is right for me?

The right treatment depends on symptom severity, overall health, and personal preference around recovery time and side effects. A consultation with a specialist, whether a urologist or an interventional radiologist, is the best way to compare your options.

What areas of San Diego County do you serve?

Care for BPH and PAE is available to residents throughout San Diego County, including Oceanside, Escondido, Carlsbad, San Marcos, Vista, Poway, Encinitas, and Temecula.

How can I schedule a consultation?

You can schedule a consultation with the specialists at North County Vascular & Interventional to discuss whether PAE or another treatment option is right for you.

Take the First Step Toward Relief

An enlarged prostate doesn’t have to define your daily routine. If you’re a San Diego County resident exploring your options, our team can help you understand whether a minimally invasive treatment like PAE is right for you.