PAE in Orange County
Evaluation and patient education for enlarged-prostate symptoms at our Fountain Valley location.
Editorially updated July 20, 2026. This educational page was prepared by SoCal Interventional using the cited primary and authoritative sources. It does not replace an individualized medical evaluation.
Quick answer: SoCal Interventional evaluates Orange County patients for prostate artery embolization (PAE) at its Fountain Valley location. PAE is a minimally invasive, image-guided procedure for urinary symptoms caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). A catheter is guided through an artery to reduce blood flow to enlarged prostate tissue, allowing gradual shrinkage.
The Fountain Valley office is located at 10900 Warner Avenue, Suite 101A, Fountain Valley, CA 92708. Call (310) 929-0026 or request an appointment. Confirm the correct location and instructions before traveling.
Comparing offices or physicians? Read how to choose a PAE doctor near you, which lists what to verify before scheduling and compares our three locations.
Weighing medication, UroLift, Rezum and PAE? See our guide to non-surgical BPH treatment in Orange County, which compares the options with cited studies.
The Fountain Valley location serves men from Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach, Costa Mesa, Santa Ana, Garden Grove, Westminster, Newport Beach, Irvine, Tustin, Orange, Anaheim, Laguna Hills, Mission Viejo, Lake Forest, and surrounding Orange County communities. Patients traveling from Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, or other areas can ask which medical records should be reviewed before an in-person visit.
This page describes the actual Fountain Valley practice location. It does not imply a physical office in every community named above.
San Diego County patients from Oceanside, Carlsbad, Escondido and the rest of North County are also evaluated here, about an hour north on the I-5 and I-405; our page on PAE for San Diego County patients covers drive times, the visit flow and what to send ahead.
Our interventional radiology practice in Fountain Valley evaluates patients for image-guided treatments, including PAE for enlarged-prostate symptoms. Visit our Fountain Valley office page for the address and directions to 10900 Warner Ave, Suite 101A. Confirm your appointment location and any records needed before traveling.
Patients from Newport Beach, Tustin, Costa Mesa, Mission Viejo, Laguna Hills and Lake Forest can request a PAE evaluation at the Fountain Valley office. Before the visit, ask which urology notes, imaging, PSA results and medication records the team needs. If a procedure is recommended, discuss transportation and recovery arrangements with the treating team. These communities are served from Fountain Valley; they are not separate office locations.
Irvine patients: our former Irvine office has moved to Fountain Valley. The Warner Avenue office is about 15 minutes from Irvine via the I-405, and the same interventional radiologist, Dr. Nathanael Sabbah, performs PAE here.
PAE treats enlarged-prostate symptoms by reducing blood flow to the prostate. An interventional radiologist threads a microcatheter through a small arterial puncture to the prostatic arteries and releases tiny particles that block them. Starved of blood, the enlarged tissue shrinks gradually over weeks to months, easing pressure on the urethra.
BPH can compress the urinary channel and contribute to weak stream, hesitancy, straining, incomplete emptying, frequency, urgency, nocturia, and urinary retention. During PAE, an interventional radiologist uses fluoroscopic imaging to navigate a microcatheter to arteries supplying the prostate. Tiny particles reduce targeted blood flow, and the prostate responds gradually over the following weeks and months.
PAE does not remove prostate tissue through the urethra and commonly does not require general anesthesia. The precise access site, contrast use, sedation, and observation plan are individualized.
An evaluation may be appropriate when urinary symptoms interfere with sleep or daily life and medication is insufficient, poorly tolerated, or not preferred. PAE can also be discussed with selected patients who have a large prostate, urinary catheter dependence, bleeding attributed to the prostate, medical conditions affecting surgical risk, or concerns about ejaculatory side effects.
Symptoms alone are not enough to confirm candidacy. BPH-like symptoms can result from infection, bladder dysfunction, urethral narrowing, medication effects, neurologic conditions, or prostate cancer.
A PAE workup confirms that an enlarged prostate, not another condition, is causing your symptoms and that the procedure is safe for you. It usually combines a symptom questionnaire, PSA history, urine and blood tests, a measure of urinary flow or residual urine, and prostate or arterial imaging when needed.
Not every patient requires every test. Read who may qualify for PAE and who needs further evaluation.
A large prostate—including a gland measured around 100, 150, or 200 grams—does not automatically rule out PAE. Size must be interpreted with symptoms, anatomy, bladder function, cancer assessment, arterial access, and treatment goals.
Some patients with BPH-related urinary retention or long-term catheter use may be evaluated. PAE cannot guarantee that a catheter will be removed. The cause and duration of retention and the ability of the bladder muscle to contract are important.
The main benefits of PAE are that it treats BPH symptoms through a small arterial puncture rather than through the urethra, is usually performed as an outpatient procedure without general anesthesia, and carries a lower reported risk of ejaculatory side effects than some transurethral procedures. Improvement builds gradually as the prostate shrinks.
Possible risks include bruising or bleeding at the access site, pelvic discomfort, temporary urinary frequency or burning, infection, urinary retention, blood in the urine or semen, contrast reaction, kidney injury, radiation exposure, unintended embolization, incomplete symptom improvement, and later retreatment.
PAE does not provide prostate tissue for pathology and is not a cancer treatment. No procedure can guarantee preservation of erections, ejaculation, continence, or fertility.
Many patients return home on the treatment day. During early recovery, pelvic pressure, fatigue, urinary urgency, frequency, burning, or access-site soreness may occur. Some patients resume light work within several days; physical jobs and strenuous exercise may require more time.
Improvement usually develops over weeks to months rather than immediately. Continue prescribed medications until the responsible clinician advises a change. Review the PAE recovery timeline and warning signs.
Alternatives may include medication, UroLift, Rezūm, Aquablation, GreenLight, HoLEP, TURP, simple prostatectomy, or observation. A transurethral or surgical approach may provide faster or more direct tissue removal. PAE offers an artery-based procedure and gradual response.
The decision should consider diagnosis, prostate anatomy, bladder function, anesthesia, catheter use, pathology needs, sexual effects, recovery, clinical evidence, retreatment, and insurance. Read PAE vs TURP.
SoCal Interventional accepts most PPO plans, Medicare, self-pay, and some IPA plans, subject to individual coverage and authorization. Bring or send relevant urology notes, prostate imaging, PSA history, urinary testing, medication list, prior procedure records, catheter history, and insurance information when requested.
10900 Warner Avenue, Suite 101A, Fountain Valley, CA 92708. Confirm the location for each appointment before traveling.
Coverage depends on the individual plan, medical necessity, provider participation, and authorization requirements. Benefits should be verified before treatment.
PAE may improve nocturia when prostate obstruction is an important cause. Nighttime urination can also result from sleep disorders, fluid balance, medications, diabetes, heart conditions, or bladder dysfunction.
Prior UroLift, Rezūm, GreenLight, TURP, medication, or another treatment does not automatically prevent evaluation. The cause of persistent symptoms and current anatomy must be reviewed.
Improvement is generally progressive over weeks to months. Timing and degree vary, and some patients need further treatment.
Call (310) 929-0026 or request a PAE consultation in Fountain Valley. Consultations and procedures take place at our Fountain Valley office on Warner Avenue; learn more about interventional radiology in Fountain Valley and the other conditions treated there.
Medical disclaimer: This page provides general education and cannot determine individual candidacy or outcome.
Explore more: Read the complete prostate artery embolization treatment guide, visit the PAE Patient Resource Center, and review our Medical Editorial Policy.
Medical content reviewed by Nathanael Sabbah, MD, interventional radiologist. Last reviewed: October 2026.