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Erectile Dysfunction - And How To Deal With It

Treatments For Erectile Dysfunction

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Several options are currently available for managing erectile dysfunction following treatment for prostate cancer.

  • Use of medications such as Viagra, Cialis and Levitra. 
    • These drugs help obtain and maintain an erection when a man is sexually stimulated. 
    • The drugs do not always work in the same way each time. Response to the drugs depends on factors such as stimulation, energy, libido, and your partner’s participation in the activity. Erections rarely extend beyond intercourse. 
    • There may be side effects.
  • A vacuum erection device
    • The device is passed over the penis creating a vacuum in the cylinder which results in increased blood flow into the penis. A constricting band or ring is then placed at the base of the penis which traps the blood. The result is that the penis is rigid and can be utilized for intercourse.  
    •  No medication or injection is required. 
    • These devices are particularly effective for couples in a relationship.
  • Pellet implant: the insertion of a drug filled pellet through the tip of the penis. The drug gets absorbed into the penis.  
  • Penile injection: 
    • Medication is injected into the side of the penis through a very fine needle like the ones diabetics use for insulin.  
    • The dose can be adjusted on the spot.  
    • The injection takes about 15 to 30 minutes until a penile erection is achieved. 
    • Depending on the dosage, an erection can last 30 to 60 minutes.  
    •  Side effects can include d some discomfort at the injection site. Over time scar tissue or fibrosis can grow. 
    • For most patients, this technique works when less invasive therapies fail.
  • Penile implant: If the other therapies do not work, or if they are not preferred, an alternative is to do a penile implant – an implant into the penis. 80 to 90% of men who have undergone a penile implant, say they would undergo the procedure again or recommend to a friend. While intrusive, and requiring anesthesia (typically in the hospital overnight), a penile implant is one of the most satisfying and effective treatment options for refractory erectile dysfunction.
    • The technique is like a breast implant: space is cleared in the penile tissue and a device is inserted into the penis through an incision.
    • There are different types of implants. One used most often, and which gives the most natural type of function, is an “inflatable penile implant” style of implant. Rigidity and flaccidity are purely mechanical. They based on the transfer of liquid from reservoirs in the scrotum between the two testicles into the penis.  Inflation takes 1 to one and half hours to perform. 
    • When flaccidity is desired, the liquid goes back to the cylinder and the penis and groin look natural. You wouldn’t know if you didn’t know.
    • When interested in initiating sexual activity, there is a small mechanism inside the scrotum which transfer fluid from the cylinders through a pumping mechanism. The result is a rigid penis.
    • Effectiveness is not dependent on sexual activity.
    • A penile implant is the most consistent and reliable treatment for erectile dysfunction that currently exists. 

 

 





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