ABSTRACT
Objective: To evaluate the long-term clinical efficacy of prostatic arterial embolization (PAE) for treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Methods: A total of 38 patients with BPH underwent PTA were followed up for more than 36 months. Relative indicators, including International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), quality of life (QOL) score, maximum flow rate (Qmax), residual urine (RU), prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) were compared pre- and postoperation during follow-up. Transrectal CDFI was used to observe pre- and postoperative changes of maximal velocity (Vmax) during systole, minimum velocity (Vmin) during diastole and resistance index (RI) of the prostatic arteries. MRI was used to measure the pre- and postoperative changes of the prostate volume (PV). Results: The technical success rate of PAE for treatment of BPH was 100% (38/38), and the clinical success rate was 84.21% (32/38). The overall differences of IPSS, QOL score, Qmax, RU, PSA, PV, Vmax, Vmin and RI before and after PAE were all statistically significant (all P0.05). During the follow-up period, PV of 3 patients increased by 3.44% at the 48th month, while the symptoms of urinary tract obstruction were aggravated in 4 patients, with RU, times of nocturia and the blood flow signal of prostate increased, and the second PAE treatment was performed. Conclusion: Long-term efficacy of PAE for treatment of BPH is stable and reliable.