PAE for San Diego County & North County
Outpatient enlarged-prostate treatment for men from Oceanside, Carlsbad, Escondido, Encinitas and the rest of North County, evaluated and performed at our Fountain Valley office in Orange County — about an hour north on the I-5.
Editorially updated October 22, 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 does not have an office in San Diego County. Men from Oceanside, Carlsbad, Vista, San Marcos, Escondido, Encinitas and the city of San Diego who want prostate artery embolization (PAE) are seen at our Fountain Valley office, 10900 Warner Avenue, Suite 101A, Fountain Valley, CA 92708 — roughly 50 to 60 minutes from Oceanside via the I-5 and I-405 outside rush hour. The first consultation can be done by telehealth, and PAE itself is an outpatient procedure: most men go home the same day with a driver.
Call (310) 929-0026 or request an appointment. The office is inside the Pacific Coast Multi Specialty Surgery building; confirm the location and any records needed before traveling. Comparing centers? Read how to choose a PAE doctor near you, which lists what to verify before you schedule anywhere.
No. This page describes how San Diego County patients are cared for at our Fountain Valley location; it does not imply a physical office in Oceanside, Carlsbad, Escondido or San Diego. The Orange County office is the closest SoCal Interventional location for North County, and the same interventional radiologist, Dr. Nathanael Sabbah, performs PAE there. Our other offices are in Van Nuys and Tarzana in the San Fernando Valley.
In practice, treatment from San Diego County usually means two trips at most: a consultation, which many out-of-area patients choose to do by telehealth after sending their records, and the procedure day itself. Follow-up questions are handled by phone or telehealth, and the team can tell you which checks, if any, can be done with your local physician in San Diego County rather than in Fountain Valley.
From most of North County the route is the I-5 north through Camp Pendleton and San Clemente, then the I-405 north to the Brookhurst Street or Warner Avenue exit in Fountain Valley. The times below are typical off-peak estimates; the I-5 between Oceanside and Irvine slows noticeably on weekday afternoons, so plan procedure-day travel for the morning.
| From | Route | Typical off-peak drive |
|---|---|---|
| Oceanside / Camp Pendleton | I-5 N → I-405 N → Brookhurst St / Warner Ave | 50–60 min |
| Carlsbad / Vista / San Marcos | CA-78 W → I-5 N → I-405 N | 55–70 min |
| Encinitas / Solana Beach / Del Mar | I-5 N → I-405 N | 60–75 min |
| Escondido | CA-78 W → I-5 N → I-405 N (or I-15 N → CA-91 W → CA-55 S → I-405 N) | 70–85 min |
| Central San Diego / La Jolla | I-5 N → I-405 N | 80–100 min |
Without a car, the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner and Metrolink stop in Irvine and Santa Ana, each a 15–20 minute rideshare from the office; the Fountain Valley office itself is not on a rail line. Because PAE involves sedation, you will need an adult to drive you home on procedure day regardless of how you arrive. Some North County patients choose to stay one night in Orange County after the procedure rather than drive back the same afternoon; the team can discuss what makes sense for your situation.
Prostate artery embolization is performed by interventional radiologists, not through the urethra by a urologist, so it is not offered in every practice that treats enlarged prostate. Men who have been told their gland is too large for office-based devices, who take blood thinners, who have a long-term catheter, or who want to keep ejaculatory function often end up researching PAE on their own and finding a limited number of centers that perform it regularly. Fountain Valley is within a day-trip distance of all of North County, which is why we built this page.
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is common: the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases estimates that it affects 5% to 6% of men ages 40 to 64 and 29% to 33% of men 65 and older. The symptoms it lists — difficulty starting urination or emptying the bladder, a weak or interrupted stream, waking at night to urinate, urgency and frequency — are the ones that bring most men to our office. Left untreated, an enlarged prostate can lead to urinary retention, blood in the urine, urinary tract infections, bladder stones and kidney problems.
During PAE an interventional radiologist places a catheter through a small puncture in the wrist or groin, guides it with imaging into the arteries that feed the prostate, and releases tiny particles that block them. The gland shrinks gradually over weeks to months, easing pressure on the urethra. There is no incision, no urethral instrument and, for most men, no general anesthesia or hospital stay.
In 2019 the Society of Interventional Radiology, together with the European, French and British interventional radiology societies, published a multisociety position statement calling PAE a safe, effective, minimally invasive treatment that should be offered as an option for appropriately selected men with BPH, and naming the groups who are often poor surgical candidates but good PAE candidates: older men with multiple medical conditions, men with very large prostates or prostate bleeding, men with long-term catheters, men who cannot stop anticoagulants, and men who want to preserve sexual function. According to the Society of Interventional Radiology’s June 2026 summary, the American Urological Association’s updated BPH guideline strengthened its recommendation for PAE in men with prostates of 50 cc or more, rating the evidence Grade B and encouraging a multispecialty approach in which an interventional radiologist performs the procedure.
Two of the most-cited comparisons with TURP, the surgical standard, are summarized below. Both are discussed in more detail on our PAE vs TURP page.
| Measure | PAE | TURP | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Symptom score (IPSS) improvement at 12 weeks | −9.2 points | −10.8 points | Randomized trial, 103 men, St Gallen (BMJ 2018) |
| Treatment-related adverse events | 36 | 70 | Same trial (P=0.003) |
| Ejaculatory dysfunction after treatment | 56% | 84% | Same trial (not statistically significant) |
| Symptom score (IPSS) improvement at 12 months | median 10 points | median 15 points | UK-ROPE registry, 318 men |
| Median hospital stay | 0 days (day case) | 2 days | UK-ROPE registry |
| Re-intervention within 12 months | 5% | 3.4% | UK-ROPE registry |
Read these numbers honestly: in both studies TURP produced a larger symptom improvement and a bigger increase in urine flow, while PAE produced fewer complications, a shorter stay and a lower rate of ejaculatory side effects, with a somewhat higher chance of needing a second treatment. The St Gallen trial did not prove PAE non-inferior to TURP on its primary endpoint. Which trade-off is right for you is a decision to make with your clinicians; the AUA guideline itself emphasizes that shared decision-making plays a critical role in starting and escalating BPH treatment.
Men qualify for PAE when an enlarged prostate is causing moderate-to-severe urinary symptoms that medication has not controlled or that they cannot tolerate, the prostate is enlarged on ultrasound or MRI, and there is no active urinary infection or unresolved prostate-cancer question. Candidacy is confirmed at a consultation with Dr. Sabbah; the usual starting points are:
Symptoms alone are not enough: BPH-like symptoms can also come from infection, bladder dysfunction, urethral narrowing, medications, neurologic conditions or prostate cancer, which is why PSA history and prior urology notes matter. Read more about who is a candidate for PAE.
Do not drive to Orange County for an emergency. The NIDDK advises telling a health care professional right away if you cannot urinate at all, have painful, frequent and urgent urination with fever and chills, have blood in your urine, or have severe pain in your lower abdomen or urinary tract. Complete inability to urinate (acute retention) needs same-day care at your nearest urgent care or emergency department; once you are stable, PAE can still be discussed as a longer-term option, including for men who leave the hospital with a catheter.
Original Medicare and most PPO plans are accepted, and the office obtains prior authorization. Medicare Advantage PPO plans are reviewed case by case; HMO, Kaiser and Medi-Cal plans require a referral from the primary physician, and some networks limit care to San Diego County providers, so ask your plan before scheduling. Details, including what to ask your insurer, are in the PAE cost and insurance guide.
No. San Diego County patients are seen at our Fountain Valley office in Orange County, about 50–60 minutes from Oceanside outside rush hour. The first consultation can be done by telehealth.
Usually one or two: the procedure day, plus an in-person consultation if you prefer it to telehealth or if imaging is needed. Follow-up is mostly by phone or telehealth.
No. PAE uses sedation, so an adult must drive you home. Some men stay one night in Orange County rather than make the return drive the same afternoon.
Yes, PAE can be evaluated across a wide range of sizes, including glands over 80–100 g that are poor candidates for office-based devices. Size is interpreted together with symptoms, bladder function, cancer assessment and arterial anatomy.
In the published comparisons TURP produced a larger symptom improvement, while PAE had fewer complications, no hospital stay and a lower rate of ejaculatory side effects. Which matters more depends on your priorities and anatomy.
Ejaculatory dysfunction was reported in 56% of men after PAE versus 84% after TURP in the St Gallen randomized trial, and in the UK-ROPE registry erectile-function scores were slightly higher one year after PAE than after TURP. No procedure can guarantee preservation of erections or ejaculation.
Call (310) 929-0026 or request a PAE consultation. Consultations and procedures take place at our Fountain Valley office, 10900 Warner Avenue, Suite 101A, Fountain Valley, CA 92708 (Mon–Fri 8 AM–5 PM); learn more about interventional radiology in Fountain Valley and PAE at the Fountain Valley office.
Medical disclaimer: This page provides general education and cannot determine individual candidacy or outcome. Drive times are estimates and vary with traffic.
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.