You wake up once to urinate. Then twice. Eventually, three or four times a night becomes normal.
During the day, you may notice a weak urine stream, difficulty getting started or the feeling that your bladder has not completely emptied. You may simply blame it on age.
But when these symptoms start affecting sleep, work, travel or your confidence, it is time to get them checked.
One common cause is benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), also called prostate enlargement. The good news is that treatment does not always mean traditional surgery.
For selected men, Prostate Artery Embolization (PAE) is a minimally invasive treatment that may help reduce urinary symptoms.
The prostate is a gland located below the bladder and around part of the urethra, the tube that carries urine out of the body.
As the prostate grows, it can press on the urethra and make urination more difficult.
Common symptoms include:
Weak or interrupted urine flow
Difficulty starting urination
Frequent urination
Sudden urges to urinate
Getting up repeatedly at night
Feeling that the bladder has not emptied completely
Dribbling after urination
BPH is not the same as prostate cancer, although urinary symptoms should still be properly evaluated rather than automatically blamed on prostate enlargement.
BPH becomes increasingly common as men age.
A large Global Burden of Disease analysis found that there were an estimated 94 million cases of BPH worldwide in 2019, compared with 51.1 million in 2000. The number of cases increased by about 70.5% over that period.
More recent research continues to show a strong relationship between ageing and prostate disorders.
The important message is simple: urinary symptoms may be common, but you do not have to accept them as an unavoidable part of getting older.
Not every enlarged prostate needs immediate treatment.
If symptoms are mild and are not interfering with your life, your doctor may recommend monitoring, lifestyle changes or medication.
Treatment becomes more important when symptoms become persistent or start affecting your sleep and quality of life.
You should also seek medical advice if you experience difficulty passing urine, repeated urinary infections, blood in the urine, bladder problems or other concerning symptoms.
One mistake we see is waiting until urinary symptoms become severe.
A gradually weakening urine stream can seem harmless because the change happens slowly. But progressive symptoms deserve evaluation before they become an emergency.
A urologist can assess whether the prostate is enlarged and whether another condition may be responsible.
Prostate Artery Embolization (PAE) is a minimally invasive procedure performed by an interventional radiologist.
Instead of surgically removing prostate tissue, the doctor guides a thin catheter through an artery toward the blood vessels supplying the prostate.
Tiny embolic particles are then delivered into selected prostate arteries. This reduces blood flow to the prostate and can cause it to shrink over time.
The result may be less pressure around the urethra and improved urinary symptoms.
PAE is not automatically appropriate for every man with BPH.
Your medical team may consider:
Severity of urinary symptoms
Prostate size
Prostate anatomy
Previous treatment
Overall health
Bladder function
Other urinary conditions
Whether you are suitable for alternative procedures
This is why Prostate Enlargement Treatment in Patel Nagar should begin with a proper evaluation rather than choosing a procedure based solely on prostate size.
The American Urological Association's updated BPH guidance included discussion of prostate artery embolization, reflecting its growing role among treatment options for lower urinary tract symptoms related to BPH.
Research published in 2024 also examined re-intervention rates across newer BPH procedures, including PAE, highlighting an important point: minimally invasive does not mean every treatment has identical long-term results.
This is something we strongly recommend patients think about.
Many men immediately say, “I want the treatment without surgery.”
Understandable—but avoiding surgery should not be the only goal.
PAE can be an attractive option for selected patients, but conventional surgical procedures may provide stronger or more predictable improvement for some men.
The right question is:
“Which treatment gives me the best balance of symptom relief, safety, recovery and long-term results?”
That answer can be different from one patient to another.
The procedure begins with vascular access, often through an artery in the wrist or groin.
Using X-ray imaging, the interventional radiologist carefully navigates a small catheter toward the arteries supplying the prostate.
Once the correct vessels are identified, embolic material is delivered to reduce blood flow to the prostate.
The catheter is removed after treatment, and the access site is monitored.
Because the procedure is performed through a small access point, it does not involve the large surgical incision associated with conventional operations.
Symptoms do not necessarily disappear immediately.
The prostate gradually responds to the reduction in blood supply, so improvement may occur over time.
Some patients experience temporary urinary symptoms, pelvic discomfort or other post-procedure effects. Your doctor will explain what is expected and which symptoms should be reported.
Follow-up is important because improvement should be assessed rather than assumed.
Imagine a 67-year-old man who wakes up four times every night to urinate and has gradually developed a weak stream.
Medication has helped somewhat, but his symptoms continue to interfere with sleep and daily activities.
Instead of choosing a procedure immediately, his doctors review his prostate imaging, urinary symptoms, bladder function and medical history. If he is considered an appropriate candidate, PAE can be discussed alongside other treatment choices.
The decision is based on the patient—not simply the size of the prostate.
Dr Raghav Seth, Interventional Radiologist, focuses on image-guided minimally invasive procedures that can offer selected patients an alternative to conventional surgery. For prostate enlargement, the priority is careful evaluation, realistic expectations and choosing PAE only when it is medically appropriate.
PAE is minimally invasive, but it is still a medical procedure.
Possible complications include bleeding or bruising at the catheter entry site, infection, temporary urinary symptoms, pain and problems caused by unintended embolization.
There is also a possibility that symptoms may not improve enough or may return over time.
Your doctor should explain the individual risks before you decide.
This is an important question that many men hesitate to ask.
Different BPH treatments can affect sexual and ejaculatory function differently. A 2024 systematic review examining minimally invasive and surgical BPH procedures specifically evaluated their effects on ejaculatory function, showing why sexual-health concerns should be part of the treatment discussion.
Do not be embarrassed to ask about this before treatment.
If urinary symptoms are regularly waking you at night, making travel difficult or affecting your normal routine, it is worth getting assessed.
Seek prompt medical attention if you suddenly cannot urinate, develop severe pain, significant blood in the urine or other acute symptoms.
The earlier you understand what is causing your symptoms, the more treatment options you may have.
Yes. Depending on your symptoms and prostate condition, options can include lifestyle changes, medicines, minimally invasive procedures such as PAE and surgical treatments.
PAE is considered a minimally invasive treatment, but it has potential risks and is not suitable for everyone. Proper patient selection and an experienced interventional radiologist are important.
Recovery varies between patients. Because PAE uses catheter-based access rather than a large surgical incision, recovery can be relatively quick, but your doctor will provide individual instructions based on your procedure and health.
If an enlarged prostate is disrupting your sleep, affecting your daily routine or making urination increasingly difficult, do not simply accept it as part of ageing.
Book a consultation with Dr Raghav Seth, Interventional Radiologist, bring your prostate scans, urinary reports and medication history, and discuss whether Prostate Enlargement Treatment in Patel Nagar—including PAE—could be appropriate for you.
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