Men with persistent erectile dysfunction, or ED, have many options to restore the ability to get and keep an erection. One of the most popular and successful is the penile implant or inflatable penile prosthesis. Let’s discuss further what penile prostheses are and who is most at risk for needing a penile prosthesis.
Erectile Dysfunction and What Causes It
Erectile dysfunction, or ED, affects about 30 million American men. Surprisingly, ED happens to all men occasionally, especially as they age. However, persistent problems with achieving and maintaining a firm erection are not normal. Rather, this men’s health issue is frustrating and depressing, causing emotional distress in men and their intimate partners.
What causes erectile dysfunction? Many physical and mental health issues can. They include:
- Low blood levels of the male hormone, testosterone
- Metabolic conditions, such as diabetes and thyroid disease
- Nerve damage due to neuropathy or trauma
- Poor blood circulation to the genitals and lower extremities
- Peyronie’s disease, an abnormal curvature of the penile shaft
- Prostate cancer surgery or radiation treatment
- Some medications, such as antidepressants
- Hypertension
- Life stress and other mental/emotional health conditions, such as anxiety and depression
As these factors put you at risk for ED and diminished sexual function, you should seek an in-office consultation with a men’s health specialist to undergo a physical examination and in-office tests. With a correct diagnosis of ED and its causes, your urologist can recommend ED treatment options, such as an inflatable penile prosthesis.
Why Get an Inflatable Penile Prosthesis, and How Does It Work?
An inflatable penile prosthesis allows a man to get an erection whenever he wishes, and the device accomplishes this without oral medications or injection therapy. The patient who qualifies for this safe outpatient surgery receives two inflatable cylinders within the penis and also a fluid-filled pump which the surgeon places in the scrotum.
To achieve an erection, the man simply manipulates the scrotal pump, sending fluid into the penile cylinders. This hydraulic action creates a natural-looking erection. Sex can be spontaneous, and sensation and ejaculation are normal as well.
The vast majority of men who receive an inflatable penile prosthesis report they are happy with how the pump performs and with their sexual satisfaction, too. The prosthesis inflates and deflates as the man wishes, and research shows that most devices last 20 years or more.
Another benefit of the penile prosthesis is the relatively easy surgical insertion. The procedure is done on an outpatient basis, and men return to work and other activities within days. Sexual intercourse can resume in about four weeks with no restriction on frequency.
Inflatable Penile Prosthesis in Scottsdale, AZ
In the Scottsdale area, you can learn more about ED and inflatable penile prosthesis from a board-certified and fellowship-trained physician, Dr. Desiderio Avila. Dr. Avila is well known for his careful and compassionate patient assessments and state-of-the-art treatments for a long list of men’s urological and sexual health issues.
Call us today at (480) 961-2323 to make an appointment, or request a visit online. We have two locations near Scottsdale – one in Phoenix and one in Gilbert, Arizona.
