When talking about treatment options, we have to look at all of the reversible causes of Erectile Dysfunction. After careful consideration of Low T, Low Thyroid, High Cholesterol and Triglycerides, Diabetes, Blood pressure medications, Antidepressant medications, etc., urologists really only have five different types of treatments to offer to their patients.
During training, we are taught “goal-oriented therapy”, starting with the simplest treatment and progressing towards the relatively more complicated therapies. In this paradigm, a urologist may decide to avoid performing any diagnostic tests because the same five treatment options exist regardless of the test results.
In my practice, I have a different perspective, and I prefer to pursue “cause-oriented therapy”. In other words, I offer diagnostic testing in order to confirm the medical cause of the ED before I recommend any treatment options. In my experience, men want to know why they have ED before they accept any long term treatment options. On the contrary, when a patient has normal testing, it suggests the problem is psychological, prompting a referral to the sexual therapist in our office. This allows a patient to avoid any unnecessary treatments or surgery, and it usually cures the ED.
In conclusion, this cause-oriented approach allows me to advocate the best treatment option for each individual patient.
You Might Also Enjoy...
Erectile Dysfunction (ED), or impotence, is a surprisingly common condition experienced by nearly 40 million American men. And contrary to popular belief, medical causes are found in 80 to 90% of the cases.
Erectile Dysfunction (ED) is defined by the National Institutes of Health as the inability of a man to achieve and maintain a penile erection sufficient for sexual activity. ED is extremely prevalent, affecting up to 30 million men in the United States...
According to the Men’s Health Network, “there is a silent health crisis in America” as men die approximately 5 years earlier than women based on CDC data from 2014.
When it comes to ED, the five treatment options are Pills, Injections, Urethral Suppositories, Vacuum Erection Devices, and Penile Implants.
Over the last 2 decades, there has been growing awareness of the impact of testosterone deficiency (TD) on men’s health. This includes body composition (reduced muscle mass and increased body fat), bone density, mood, and quality of life.
Despite the well-proven benefits for testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), physicians are still fearful that testosterone may cause the progression of undiagnosed prostate cancer (PCa) or its development with advancing age.
