| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Side Effects: Sexual Health
Sexuality is a significant component of men's health.
The nerves involved in sexual function are often damaged by radical prostatectomy or radiation therapy, causing Erectile Dysfunction (ED), also known as impotence.
For men who suffer from erectile dysfunction, there are several solutions:
Penile Implants - Two different types of penile implants: malleable or inflatable. A Malleable Implant can provide the following: Malleable - Advantages
Malleable - Disadvantages
Inflatable - Advantages
Transurethral System - Drug therapy that is administered by injection, and can produce a rapid, predictable erection. May be ideal for men who have not responded to oral therapy, or who have experienced adverse reactions or intolerance to oral drugs. Surgery - Erectile dysfunction can begin immediately following surgery to remove the prostate, regardless of whether the technique that tries to spare the nerves that control the erection. If a nerve sparing technique can be used, recovery from erectile dysfunction may occur within the first year following the procedure. Recovery of erectile function after non-nerve sparing procedures is unlikely. Studies show that as many as 60-70% of men who have their nerves spared on both sides of the prostate will regain erections. Other studies show that erectile dysfunction drugs have been reported to work in 43% of men who have had surgery to remove the prostate.
Radiation - Erectile dysfunction can also occur after radiation therapy but doesn’t begin until about 6 months following the start of treatment. About 50-60% of men regain erections after radiation with the aid of erectile dysfunction drugs. Hormone Therapy - Erectile dysfunction may occur about two to four weeks after the beginning of treatment and is almost always paired with a decreased desire for sex. Studies show that erectile dysfunction drugs do not have much of an impact if at all after hormone therapy. However, erectile function returns after hormone therapy is discontinued. For more information: American Foundation for Urologic Diseases, Sexual Function Advisory Council: The American Cancer Society, Treatment Topics and Resources: Cornell University, Urology, Sexual Medicine Program:
Related Stories
|  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Straight Talk about E.D.
"Bill" Testimonial on Surgery Success
