Prostate Brachytherapy

Prostate Seed Implant (prostate LDR brachytherapy)

What is a Prostate Seed Implant?
A prostate seed implant (also known as prostate brachytherapy, LDR brachytherapy or a “seed implant”) is a 90 minute, outpatient procedure that is used to cure prostate cancer. This is often the only therapy that is needed to cure prostate cancer. A prostate seed implant has the advantages of being effective, cost-effective and allows excellent quality of life when the treatment is complete.

To schedule an initial consultation to see if you are a good candidate for a Prostate Seed Implant, you or your cancer doctor can call our team at 504.503.5139 and press option 2 to schedule.

Which men benefit from Prostate Seed Implants?
Men who want a cure for localized Gleason 6 and Gleason 7 prostate cancer. Localized refers to organ-confined disease or cancer that has not spread outside the prostate.

What do you Need to Know about Prostate Seed Implants?
A Prostate Seed Implant is an approximately two-hour outpatient procedure. Most men have a very prompt recovery and go back to normal activity with little down-time.

How Does It Work?
A patient who desires to be treatment with a prostate seed implant is taken to the operating room. While he is asleep, the doctor places usually between 60 to 100 small radioactive seeds into the prostate, each smaller than a grain of rice. The patient is discharged later that day. Over 90% of our patients go home on the same day and without a urinary catheter. The seeds emit radiation therapy over a time period of several weeks to months (depending on the specific implant), so that the patient is essentially treated while he is at home. About four weeks later, our patient returns to the office for CT-based dosimetry, for an evaluation of the seeds.

Case Study
This man in his early-70s presented to our practice with NCCN intermediate favorable risk group prostate cancer with a Gleason score of 7 (3+4). He considered all his options carefully, and elected to go ahead with a seed implant.

Ask Us a Question
You are welcome to send ask a question us a question. While please understand – the quickest and most direct way to get started on treatment would be to come in for Consultation – sometime patients and their families want to reach out to us first.

If you have symptoms of an urgent nature, please call your doctors or go to the emergency room immediately.

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For more information about treatment, fill out the information form here, and someone from our office will respond shortly.​

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