Seed brachytherapy: Understanding the procedure

Before the procedure

Using ultrasound and radiographic images of the area to be targeted for treatment, your doctor will plan your procedure in advance, deciding how many seeds to implant and exactly where to position them.

During the procedure

A typical seed brachytherapy procedure is performed in an outpatient setting by a urologist, radiation oncologist and radiation physicist. You will be given general or local anesthesia and possibly other medication to help you relax. Using ultrasound equipment as guidance, your physician will insert thin, hollow needles into your prostate gland with which to deposit approximately 70 to 125 seeds, depending on the size of your prostate gland.

The procedure lasts about 45 minutes to an hour. Most patients leave the clinic or hospital a few hours later and resume their normal activities in about two days.

After the procedure

An isotope such as Cesium-131, which is contained in each implanted seed, begins immediately to deliver a dose of radiation to nearby cells. The isotope's radiation decays over time but the seeds themselves are compatible with your body tissues and remain in place permanently. Prescription pain medicine is not usually required, however some patients are given an antibiotic as a precaution.