Erectile dysfunction

Men who must undergo radical prostatectomy or radiation therapy for prostate cancer often fear they will be unable to resume sexual activity after treatment. While these procedures may result in erectile dysfunction, they do not directly affect libido or the ability to achieve orgasm. This is in contrast to hormone therapy, which lowers testosterone and decreases libido.

Health Tips from Dr. Healy: Video: Why cancer patients should stop smoking Choose another disease or condition... Allergic Rhinitis Allergies, Food Allergy & Asthma Center Alzheimer's Disease Anxiety Aortic Aneurysms Arrhythmia Arthritis, Osteo- (OA) Arthritis, Rheumatoid (RA) Asthma Atopic Dermatitis Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Back Pain Brain Tumor Bones, Joints & Muscles Center Breast Cancer Brain & Behavior Center Brain Tumor Cancer Center    Brain Tumor    Breast Cancer    Cancer Prevention    Clinical Trials    Colorectal Cancer    Endometrial Cancer    Living With and Beyond Cancer    Lung Cancer    Prostate Cancer    Skin Cancer Cardiomyopathy Cataracts Cholesterol Control Clinical Trials Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Colorectal Cancer Congenital Heart Disease Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) Crohn's Disease Depression Diabetes Center Diabetes, Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Digestive Disorders Center Eczema Endometrial Cancer Erectile Dysfunction (ED) Eye & Vision Center Fibromyalgia Food Allergies Gallstone Disease Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) GERD Glaucoma Hay Fever Headache Heart Center Hepatitis A Hepatitis B Hepatitis C High Blood Pressure Hypertension Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) Impotence Insomnia Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Living With and Beyond Cancer Losing Weight Lung Cancer Macular Degeneration Memory Loss Osteoarthritis (OA) Osteoporosis Parkinson's Disease Peptic Ulcer Prediabetes Prostate Cancer Respiratory Disorders Center Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Sexual & Reproductive Health Center Sinusitis Skin Cancer Sleep Apnea Sleep Center Stroke Type 1 Diabetes Type 2 Diabetes Ulcerative Colitis (UC) Weight Control Eight steps you can take to reduce your risk of cancer Interested in a clinical trial? Here's all you need to know See the top online resources for prostate cancer information How to lose weight and keep it off Prostate Cancer-Related Clinical Trials Information Email this page Print this section

Treatments for erectile dysfunction include:

• Vacuum pumps: A simple, noninvasive treatment for erectile dysfunction is the vacuum pump—an airtight tube that is placed around the penis before intercourse. The tube is attached to a pump, which withdraws air from the tube and creates a partial vacuum that causes the penis to become engorged with blood. A constricting ring is then placed at the base of the penis to prevent blood from flowing out. Erections last about a half an hour; leaving the constricting ring on for a longer period may be harmful. Vacuum pumps are highly effective devices, but many men find them cumbersome to use.
• Oral medications: Oral drugs are the newest advance in the treatment of erectile dysfunction. Three drugs are currently available: sildenafil (Viagra), vardenafil (Levitra), and tadalafil (Cialis). All three belong to a class of drugs known as phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors. Unlike other therapies for erectile dysfunction, these drugs do not produce erections in the absence of sexual stimulation.
• Vasodilators: Erections can be produced with vasodilators, drugs that widen the blood vessels and allow the penis to become engorged with blood. The most commonly used vasodilator for erectile dysfunction is alprostadil. Other vasodilators include papaverine and phentolamine. Alprostadil can be injected directly into the base of the penis with a needle or inserted into the urethra in pellet form through a delivery system called MUSE. Both approaches have drawbacks. Injections can cause pain, scarring, and priapism—a painful, prolonged erection that must be treated medically. MUSE can cause urethral burning. Using low doses can minimize the risk of such side effects.
• Surgery: Several types of surgically implanted devices can provide erections sufficient for sexual intercourse. In one approach, a semirigid device—a rod-shaped piece of silicone inserted into the penis—is bent downward into the erect position before intercourse; afterward, it is folded upward close to the body. A more commonly used device consists of two hydraulic chambers implanted into the penis and connected to a fluid-filled pump placed in the scrotum. An erection is created by pumping fluid into the chambers.