GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. – Earlier this year, King Charles underwent a procedure for an enlarged prostatewhich sparked interest in the extremely common condition among older men.
Rowe Winecoff of Edina is about to undergo treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH – a non-cancerous enlarged prostate. The growth of the gland puts pressure on the urethra, weakening the bladder.
“There are some nerves, but it’s a relatively simple procedure,” Winecoff said. “I’ve had problems urinating for about ten years.”
By age 50, half of all men will have the condition and this percentage increases with age.
There are multiple treatment options for BPH, ranging from medications to surgery.
Golzarian and a team from the University of Minnesota Medical Center were the first in the US to complete a less invasive option called Prostatic Artery Embolization in 2012.
“Our technique is the only one that actually goes through arteries or to the wrist or to the groin,” says Golzarian, co-founder and CEO of North Star Vascular and Interventional.
PAE is performed entirely within the body. Golzarian and his team use imaging to guide very small catheters through blood vessels to the treatment area.
Particles are injected inside that clog the artery and block blood flow.
“By softening the prostate, it reduces pressure on the urethra, allowing the patient to urinate better,” says Golzarian.
Norman Munk of Minneapolis underwent the procedure in late March after more than a decade of suffering.
“I was getting up five, six, seven times a night to go to the bathroom,” Munk said. “I’m in and out within five hours. Light sedation, fewer side effects, cheaper and in some ways more effective. And there’s no risk of sexual dysfunction.”
Although PAE is FDA-approved, Munk struggled to get the treatment covered by insurance.
“The idiocy of that and the gatekeepers. If you go through Medicare, you can get it approved. If you have a benefit plan, you’re working with gatekeepers,” he said.
Munk and Golzarian are on a mission to ensure more men know there are less invasive ways to treat their BPH symptoms.
“It really helps a lot of patients,” Golzarian said.
“This will also save lives, but it will certainly improve people’s lives,” Munk said.
Not all patients are suitable candidates for PAE. Embolization is also used to treat tumors, internal bleeding, uterine fibroids, and even osteoarthritis.
