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ED treatment options1

Whatever is causing your ED, there is a treatment option that can provide a satisfying solution. If you try one of the treatment options listed and it doesn’t work for you or you aren’t completely satisfied, don’t be discouraged and give up hope. These treatment options have varying degrees of success for each man depending on the cause of the ED. Irreversible vessel or nerve damage may impact the success of some of these treatments. For example, oral medications don’t work well for some men.2 In fact, half of men who try oral medications give up on the pills or they stop working.3 It’s important to know all of your available options and discuss them with your doctor to determine which will be appropriate for you and your lifestyle.

Oral medications: There are a number of prescription medications available that may improve blood flow to the penis. Combined with sexual stimulation, this can produce an erection.

 

Vacuum erection devices: A hollow plastic tube is placed over the penis and a pump (hand/battery-powered) is used to create a vacuum that pulls blood into the penis. Once an erection is achieved, an elastic tension ring is placed at the base of the penis to help maintain the erection.

 

Penile implants: A device is implanted into the penis that is intended to allow a man with ED to have an erection. The device is entirely contained in the body so no one is able to see it and is controlled by the user to achieve an erection. This treatment is designed to allow for spontaneity and the erection is maintained for as long as the man desires.

 

Injections: With injection therapy, a needle is used to inject medication directly into the penis. The medication allows blood to flow into the penis, creating an erection.

 

Intraurethral suppositories: An applicator
containing a small pellet (suppository) is inserted in to the urethra and the pellet is released. The pellet dissolves and increases blood flow to the penis, creating an erection.

 

Sources:

1. Erectile dysfunction (ED). American Urological Association. www.auanet.org/content/ education-and-meetings/med-stu-curriculum/ed.pdf. Accessed January 21, 2013.
2. Walsh TJ, Hotaling JM, Smith A, et al. Men with diabetes may require more aggressive treatment for erectile dysfunction. Int J Impot Res. 2014 May-Jun;26(3):112-5.
3. Matthew AG, Goldman A, Trachtenberg J, et al. Sexual dysfunction after radical prostatectomy: prevalence, treatments, restricted use of treatments and distress. J Urol. 2005 Dec;174(6):2105-10.

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