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Prostate artery embolization

PAE eases the symptoms of an enlarged prostate by slowing its blood supply, so it shrinks. It is done through a tiny opening at the groin or wrist while you are awake, with no surgical cut.

The short version

  1. As men get older, the prostate often grows and squeezes the tube that carries pee, which can make peeing hard.
  2. In PAE, a doctor puts a thin tube into an artery at the groin or wrist and guides it to the small arteries that feed the prostate.
  3. Tiny beads go through the tube to slow the blood flow, so over the next weeks the prostate shrinks.
  4. Most men go home the same day, and peeing often gets easier within 4 to 6 weeks.

When to get help

Call 9-1-1 now if you have:
  • Bleeding from the groin or wrist that does not stop after you lie down and press hard on it for 10 minutes
  • Any other emergency
Call the interventional radiology (IR) team today if you have:
  • You cannot pee at all (this is urgent)
  • A fever or chills
  • Pain that gets worse instead of better
  • Burning even when you are not peeing
  • More blood in your urine
  • Bleeding from the penis
  • Sores or colour changes on the penis or scrotum
  • A painful lump at the groin or wrist that keeps growing

IR team phone: added by the hospital before launch After hours, or if you can’t reach them: go to the nearest emergency department.

Not sure? Call HealthLink BC at 8-1-1, any time, day or night. You are not sure how worried to be You have questions about your medicines

See it step by step on a 3D model

Open the full guide to see the procedure step by step, what to expect before and after, and questions to ask your doctor.

Web address: added before launch

QR code Added once the site has its final address

General information, not medical advice. Your care team knows your situation and makes decisions with you.

Pathway P-002 · PAE handout · Version 0.5 · 14 October 2026 · Draft