Joe Mullich
Freelance Health Writer
818-907-9109
Time-Life Medical
A Primer on Prostate Cancer
By Joe Mullich
Help For Impotence
Some men do not seek to restore sexual functioning if impotency continues after treatment. For those who do, there are several devices and techniques you can consider to help maintain an erection:
* Injections. Several drugs -- including papverine, phentolamine, and prostaglandine E-1 -- can be used to trigger an erection in the same manner that nerve impulses cause an erection. The injections are done on one side of the penis, after halfway down. Erection usually occur in about five minutes. Injections won't work for every man, but when the procedure is successful, erections normally last from 30 minutes to three hours. Injections cannot be used two days in a row.
* Vacuum-assisted devices. A tube is placed around the penis and the air is withdrawn from the tube with a pump. This action draws blood into the penis, causing an erection. An elastic ring or band is placed around the base of the penis to maintain the erection. The erection can be safely preserved for about 30 minutes. The devices cannot be used by men with high blood pressure.
* Penile Implants. A prosthesis or rod can be implanted in the penis in a surgical procedure. Some implants are semi-rigid and others are bendable. Other implants are inflatable. With these devices, liquid is pumped into inflatable cylinders implanted in your penis to cause an erection. A valve is used to release the liquid and end the erection.
Links in Prostate Cancer Series
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW FIRSTQUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT TREATMENT
A FIRST PERSON ACCOUNT: THE HUMAN SIDE OF PROSTATE CANCER
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