Erectile dysfunction Treatment Options

There are multiple options for treating patients with impotence. This is a very brief discussion on some of the options.

Sexual Counseling: Treatment by way of counseling or therapy can be an effective way to treat those patients suffering only minor dysfunction, particularly if the issues are based on psychological issues.

Oral Medication: Since March 1998, when Viagra was launched on the market, a revolution of oral treatment for impotence arose. Following very close on the heels of the Viagra launch was the release of Levitra and Cialis. Other (even better) drugs are in the pipeline. ED can cause depression and must be cured. If you are based in the UK and want more information you can try generic cialis

Effective oral medication has re-written the management of ED and is effective in nearly 70 – 75 % of cases. There are multiple internet resources available that offer further information about these drugs, so they won’t be explained further here.

Hormone Replacement Therapy: The male hormone responsible for men’s sexual characteristics such as deep voice and body hair is testosterone. As men age, their level of testosterone decreases (andropause) and this may have an adverse effect on sexual performance. In proven cases of andropause, testosterone preparations may enhance potency and improve sex drive. However, this type of treatment needs to be taken under strict medical supervision, as there is a tendency for side effects to occur.

Some other problems that may cause reduced testosterone levels will require the patient to seek expert endocrinologist advice.

External Vacuum Devices: Vacuum therapy involves the use of an external vacuum device, and one or more tension rings. This therapy is purported to be effective for over 90% of the men who use it. In fact, most can technically master its use in one day, and can use it to maintain erections for up to 30 minutes, even after ejaculation and/or orgasm.

There are some side effects that could present after use, including petechiae, or red dots, and ecchymoses, which are bruises or discoloration. These symptoms don’t hurt and they definitely aren’t serious, in most cases happening to new patients who are still learning about the techniques. Penile temperature may decrease 1-2 degrees during use. Vacuum devices are generally favoured by elderly patients with erectile dysfunction.

Penile Injections: The need for the use of injections has declined enormously since the advent of orally effective drugs like Viagra for ED. The treatment involved patients injecting a mixture of medications into the penis with a fine needle, such as papaverine, phentolamin and prostaglandin. Patients are instructed on correct use of the procedure by a doctor. The reported success rate for this type of treatment is around 75-85% of patients achieving good erections. Some patients combine this method with the use of an external vacuum device. However, injection use is becoming far less common.

Patients who use penile injections can obtain an erection that lasts for around 30-60 minutes and may remain hard even after achieving orgasm, which could be an inconvenience for some patients. Unfortunately, overdose of this type of treatment can result in a painful erection that can need medical assistance to resolve. Frequent use may lead to the build-up of scar tissue in the penis, further complicating the process of erection.

Penile Implants: Patients may choose to treat erectile dysfunction with a penile implant, which is a mechanical prosthesis that allows the patient to achieve an erection whenever desired. Penile prosthetic implantation surgery gives good results and high satisfaction ratios with low complication rates when performed at centers of excellence. The incidence of side effects is low. Several different penis implant types are available, including semi-rigid, 2-piece inflatable and 3-piece inflatable. Implant designs are continually being improved and advanced, which has increased customer satisfaction rates significantly.

Microsurgery: Revascularization and venous ligation of the penis are performed by microsurgery that is almost as complex as a heart by-pass surgery, although there is far less risk involved. However, the need for microsurgery is declining as more patients turn to oral medications to treat impotence. Some patients will request a microsurgical cure rather than have silastic devices inserted into their penises. Patients often prefer to consider a micro-surgical cure for erectile dysfunction, leaving penis implants as and option of last resort.

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