Prostate artery embolisation (PAE) is offered at major academic medical centers, specialty interventional radiology clinics, and select NHS trusts. Because PAE is a minimally invasive procedure performed by interventional radiologists rather than urologists, it’s typically found at hospitals with dedicated interventional radiology departments rather than at every urology practice. Availability has expanded significantly in recent years, but you may still need to travel to a larger center depending on where you live.
Major Hospitals Offering PAE in the US
Several well-known academic medical centers have established PAE programs. Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore runs a dedicated program through its Interventional Radiology Center. Columbia University Irving Medical Center, affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian in New York City and Westchester, offers PAE through its interventional radiology department. City of Hope, a National Cancer Institute-designated center, also performs the procedure.
Beyond these, most large university hospital systems with interventional radiology fellowships now offer PAE or can refer you to a specialist who does. Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, UCLA, Georgetown, and Mount Sinai are among the institutions with interventional radiologists experienced in the technique. The fastest way to find a provider near you is to search for “interventional radiology” plus your city or region, then call to ask whether they perform PAE specifically. Not every interventional radiologist has training in this procedure, so confirming experience matters.
Finding PAE in the UK and Internationally
In the UK, University College London Hospitals (UCLH) NHS Foundation Trust offers PAE through its interventional radiology imaging department at University College Hospital on Euston Road in London. UCLH also accepts overseas patients. Southampton, Birmingham, and several other NHS trusts have introduced PAE as an option for men with enlarged prostates, though availability on the NHS can vary by region and may require a referral from a urologist.
Private clinics in London and other major UK cities also perform PAE. If you’re seeking PAE through the NHS, your GP or urologist can check whether your local trust offers it or arrange a referral to one that does.
Who Is a Good Candidate
PAE treats benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), the non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate that causes urinary symptoms like frequent urination, weak stream, and difficulty emptying the bladder. Doctors use a standardized symptom questionnaire called the IPSS to gauge severity. Most studies set a minimum score of 13 out of 35 to justify the procedure, meaning your symptoms need to be at least moderate.
Prostate size also plays a role. Several specialists consider PAE better suited for larger prostates, particularly those over 80 grams, because they tend to respond more favorably and are technically easier to treat. When the prostate is below 40 grams, the benefits become less predictable, and your doctor should discuss this with you before proceeding. Men who aren’t good candidates for surgery due to age, medications, or other health conditions often find PAE especially appealing because of its lighter recovery profile.
What the Procedure Involves
PAE is performed as an outpatient procedure, meaning no overnight hospital stay. An interventional radiologist inserts a thin catheter through a small puncture in your wrist or groin, threads it into the arteries feeding your prostate, and injects tiny particles that block blood flow to the gland. With reduced blood supply, the prostate gradually shrinks over the following weeks.
The procedure itself typically takes one to three hours. Most people return to normal activities the next day, though you should avoid heavy lifting and intense exercise for the first few days to protect the puncture site. Full recovery takes about one to two weeks.
How Well PAE Works
Studies show substantial symptom improvement after PAE. In one study of men with severe symptoms, average symptom scores dropped by nearly 68% at three months. That improvement held up over time: at a median follow-up of 25 months, scores were still about 65% lower than before the procedure.
A randomized trial published in the BMJ compared PAE directly against TURP, the traditional surgical approach where prostate tissue is removed through the urethra. Patient-reported symptom scores did not differ significantly between the two treatments. However, PAE produced notably fewer adverse events: 36 compared to 70 in the TURP group. The tradeoff is that PAE may have some disadvantages in certain functional outcomes, which is why patient selection matters.
Risks and Side Effects
The most common side effect is post-embolisation syndrome, a temporary reaction that occurs in roughly 1 in 4 patients. It can include a burning sensation during urination (about 22% of cases), pain in the pelvic area (about 20%), temporary worsening of urinary symptoms (about 33% of those who develop the syndrome), and occasionally a low-grade fever (about 7%). Nausea is uncommon at under 2%. These symptoms are self-limiting and typically resolve within a few days to a couple of weeks.
Urinary tract infections requiring antibiotics occur in about 3% of cases. Serious complications are rare. Compared to TURP, PAE carries a significantly lower risk of bleeding, urinary incontinence, and retrograde ejaculation, which is one of its main appeals for men who want to preserve sexual function.
Insurance and Cost
Medicare covers PAE under the billing code for arterial embolisation procedures. Based on Medicare’s 2026 national averages, the total cost runs about $5,900 at an ambulatory surgical center, with the patient paying roughly $1,179 out of pocket. At a hospital outpatient department, the total cost is higher (around $12,276), but Medicare caps your copayment at $1,676 for this type of procedure.
Private insurance coverage varies. Some plans cover PAE readily since it has an established billing code, while others may require prior authorization or documentation that medications have failed first. If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, contact your plan directly to confirm costs. Supplemental insurance policies may cover remaining out-of-pocket expenses. For those paying without insurance, costs at private interventional radiology clinics can range widely, so requesting a price estimate upfront is worth doing.
How to Get Started
Your urologist is the typical starting point. If they don’t perform PAE themselves (most don’t, since it’s an interventional radiology procedure), they can refer you to a specialist. You can also contact interventional radiology departments directly at any of the hospitals mentioned above. Many centers offer consultations where they review your imaging, symptom scores, and prostate size to determine whether PAE is a good fit before scheduling anything.
When evaluating a provider, ask how many PAE procedures they’ve performed. Like most catheter-based procedures, outcomes improve with operator experience. A radiologist who has done dozens or hundreds of cases will navigate the complex pelvic arteries more efficiently and with fewer complications than someone just getting started.