What is it?
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is the inability to get or keep an erection firm enough to have sexual intercourse. It’s also sometimes referred to as impotence.
Occasional ED isn’t uncommon. Many men experience it during times of stress. Frequent ED can be a sign of physical or emotional problems that need treatment.
Erection problems
There are many causes of erection problems.
These can be; psychological, blood vessel (‘Vascular’)-related, diabetes, nurological, low testosterone or ‘hypogonadism’
South West Andology’s approach using modern treatments mean that majority of our patients are able to successfully achieve penetrative sex irrespective of the underlying causes.
Erectile dysfunction
What are the treatments for psychological causes of ED?
Usually psychological causes of ED are of sudden onset and short-lived. Usually some help with Viagra type compounds (Viagra, Cialis, Levitra) together with counselling helps this resolve without too much difficulty.
Read more about Viagra, Cialis or Levitra in this PDF: Viagra
What are the treatments for ED caused by blood vessel (‘Vascular’) problems and diabetes?
After many years both cigarette smoking and diabetes can take their toll in many ways on the human body. Narrowing and damage to blood vessels can harm the kidneys, the eyes, the nerves, the heart and the erectile tissue of the penis.
Initially tablet therapy may help but as the disease progresses more invasive treatments may be required such as injections and even penile implants. Generally, the better the diabetic control the less likely are the more major procedures likely to be required.
In addition to diabetes any conditions or disease processes which damage blood vessels can lead to erectile failure (e.g. cigarette smoking).
Schematic diagram of inflatable penile prosthesis.
At South West Andology diabetic erectile dysfunction treatments are tailored to the severity of the disease and to the needs of the patient:
Both implant types are custom fitted to your body and allow you to have a satisfactory erection for sexual intercourse. Your sensitivity and ability to ejaculate are not affected. The primary difference between the two penile prosthesis types is that flexible rod implants (the Genesis) produce a permanently firm penis, while the inflatable prosthesis (the Titan) produce a more natural erection.
Read this PDF for more information: Penile prostheses
What are the treatments for neurological causes of ED?
Pelvic fracture and pelvic cancer surgery are now the commonest causes of damage to the erectile nerves leading to erectile failure.
Many men in the UK undergo prostate surgery for prostate cancer. Whilst the cancer is frequently cured the damage to male sexual function can be distressing and difficult to treat if left for too long. Many cancer surgeons ignore this aspect of treatment focusing on cure without any emphasis on quality of life.
Supportive treatment is available at South West Andology to get sexual function going again. We offer sensitive, tailored treatment for the needs of individual men. Restoration of sexual function goes hand in hand with restoration of urinary continence in order to maintain quality of life.
What are the treatments for ED caused by hypogonadism (low testosterone)?
As men age, as with changes in blood pressure, they gradually develop problems with testosterone secretion. By and large there is a decrease in production and this is more pronounced in those who are diabetic or overweight.
Low testosterone or ‘hypogonadism’ has in the past been regarded as an unimportant finding in the male. We now know however that if left undiagnosed and untreated, hypogonadism can lead to severe long term problems for men; such as cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, insulin resistance, reduced sexual desire and performance, depression, tiredness, lethargy and weight gain.
The aim of treatment is to treat the cause which may sometimes be due to other hormonal imbalances. Very often in the middle aged male however, treating obesity, inactivity and lifestyle accompanied by carefully monitored testosterone replacement can reverse the trend and improve health significantly.
At South West Andrology we carefully diagnose, monitor and treat testosterone deficiency as part of our male heath initiative. It is important to keep the testosterone in an appropriate physiological range, so that potential negative effects of overtreatment are not encountered.
What are the treatment costs for erectile dysfunction?
Consultations: £195
Follow up appointments: £150
Cost of teaching self-injection with Invicorp or caverject: £230 Read this PDF for more information: Penile injection for erection
Cost of penile prosthesis (semi rigid): please contact us for pricing information.
Cost of penile prosthesis (inflatable): please contact us for pricing information.
If you have any further queries regarding finance and your treatment cost – then please contact us on 0117 980 4118
