Prostatic artery embolsation
Research type
Research Study
Full title
proSTatic aRtery EmbolizAtion for the treatMent of Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy (STREAM)
IRAS ID
142082
Contact name
Charles Ross Tapping
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust
Research summary
The prostate is a gland normally the size of a chestnut found in men beneath the bladder; it produces fluid to protect and enrich sperm. With age, the centre of the prostate enlarges, known as hypertrophy. The urether, which is the tube through which urine is expelled from the penis runs through the centre of the prostate; therefore as the gland enlarges, it can restrict the flow of urine. The symptoms of prostate enlargement are often termed lower urinary tract symptoms and include: Poor stream, (the flow of urine is weaker, and it takes longer to empty your bladder), hesitancy (a delay until urine starts to flow), dribbling, and poor bladder emptying. Benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) is a disease in which prostate enlargement causes symptoms, it is not a cancerous condition. Unfortunately BPH affects 80% of men over the age of 80. The management options are medicines and surgery. One of the major consequences of these treatments is sexual dysfunction, in addition to the inherent risks of surgery. Prostatic artery embolisation (PAE) is a new treatment, which involves blocking the arteries supplying the prostate, resulting in shrinkage of the gland and symptom control. The arteries are blocked by injecting small particles into them, and are accessed from a small cut in the groin using x-ray guidance (fluoroscopy. Unlike the surgical option, patients only require local anaesthetic,and it is performed as a day-case procedure. The current published literature on PAE shows very high technical and clinical success rates, with no cases of sexual dysfunction.
REC name
South Central - Oxford C Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/SC/0122
Date of REC Opinion
7 Apr 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion