Place the urologist in the treatment of erectile dysfunction

In cases of erectile dysfunction, your GP is the first person to consult. Although he has mostly adequate treatment, it may in some cases, refer you to a specialist. Among them, the urologist prominently.

The erectile dysfunction were the reason for visit as often in the field of male sexual difficulties. Although the GP is the first contact, the role of the urologist may also be important.

Role of the urologist
This specialist treats diseases related to organs and genito-urinary (kidney, ureter, bladder, testes, prostate, etc..). From diagnosis to treatment of diseases, its role is clinical examination at the completion of tests that can determine the nature of the disease. Depending on the results, it can make a diagnosis, prescribe medical or surgical treatment appropriate in consultation with the patient. If necessary, carry out surgery and follow up patients until their recovery.

But faced with an indication as prevalent as erectile dysfunction, its use is justified only after consulting the doctor. This can guide the patient to the specialist for further evaluation or treatment failure of drug treatments.

Place additional tests
Sometimes, the origin of erectile dysfunction (organic or psychological) can be determined by various medical examinations. A blood test can reveal the presence of excessive cholesterol or triglycerides, or rather an abnormal decline in testosterone.

More rarely, plethysmography can be performed in hospitals. This review shows the occurrence of nocturnal erections unconscious and thus exclude organic disorders.

Pathology and treatment of prostate
The treatment of prostate disease requiring surgical and radiation therapy in the prostate region that can damage the arteries bringing blood flow to the penis and nerves involved in mechanism of erection. Despite improved surgical techniques, the ablation of the prostate (prostatectomy) needed to meet certain cancers may alter neurovascular bands involved in erection. The latter indeed pass along the prostate.

For similar reasons, external beam radiation or brachytherapy (radiation with radioactive implants) can cause malfunctions. New technologies being validated (cryotherapy and ultrasound) seem to have fewer side effects on erectile capacity, but these results should be confirmed.

In conclusion, treatment of prostate cancer is different and each have advantages and disadvantages. Choosing the most appropriate treatment for you and will be discussed with the patient after he had received clear information. According to Dr. Edouard Amar, andrologist (Paris): "The sexual dysfunction after treatment of prostate cancer is an important issue for quality of life of patients who are often young. The information pre-treatment is critical in explaining the risks to the patient the erection and of course also on ejaculation to enable then to be well supported so early "before explaining that" After a radical prostatectomy, the surgeon will try as much as possible to keep the nerves erection, according to local anatomical conditions, care must be early, kind of labor by penile rehabilitation treatments that allow both patients to continue their sexual activity and his penis to maintain an exercise with tissue oxygenation to prevent fibrosis. The recovery can be long in the first years after surgery. For radiotherapy, results in the opposite may deteriorate over time and is also a continuation of sexual activity is beneficial " .

Finally, detailed information prior to treatment and care early after andrological treatment itself are the keys to maintaining a satisfactory sexual activity. These two elements are central to the support by the urologist for erectile dysfunction in these patients.

 

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