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How Injections Are Used to Treat Erectile Dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a condition affecting many men across the globe. About a quarter of men under 40 years old suffer from ED and more than half of men over 50 years.
The majority of medication used to treat erectile dysfunction is done orally using medicine such as Viagra and other pills. However, orally ingested medication does not work for everybody. Such men will be directed to erectile dysfunction injections.
Contrary to popular opinion, injection therapy for erectile dysfunction is not a novel practice. It has been done since the 1980s in centers like Lazare Urology to great effect.
How are Penile Injections Performed?
Erectile dysfunction injections involve direct injection of erectile dysfunction medication into the inner part of the penis. An incredibly thin needle is used to inject the medicine in the inner blood vessels of the penis’ shaft.
A common misconception is that the medicine is injected just under the skin of the penis. However, this is not true and if this were the case, it would not cure the condition. The medicine must be injected into the part of the penis that fills with blood during an erection which is the innermost part.
After penile injection therapy, an erection that lasts between half an hour and an hour can develop in ten to fifteen minutes.
Injections
Erectile dysfunction injections must be done by and using drugs that are prescribed by a urologist. There will be a trial injection during the first or second visit to the urologist so that the doctor can confirm that there is a positive reaction to the drug. If not, another drug will be used.
Although the patient can be trained to perform the injection themselves, it is recommended to have a trained doctor do them.
Medicine Used in Penile Injections
The common medication used to perform erectile dysfunction injections are:
- papaverine
- phentolamine
- alprostadil
- Alprostadil is also known as prostaglandin E
The medicines can either be injected individually or as a mix. The combination is usually given to those patients whose injection of alprostadil is insufficient or have adverse reactions to the drug.
Risks of Penile Injections
All medicines and medical procedures have side effects. The most common negative side effect is having an erection that lasts for more than four to six hours which can lead to permanent damage to the penis’ erectile tissue. The condition described above is commonly referred to as priapism.
Other side effects include bruising some bruising at the point of injection. You can remedy this by pressing a finger over the injection point for three to six minutes. Some men also experience pain in their penis. Penile pain is usually felt by men who are injected with alprostadil. Pain in the penis is rare and is often felt by men who suffer from diabetes or if they have recently had prostatectomy surgery done.
If erectile dysfunction injections are done with poor technique or under the skin instead of in the inner part of the penis, swelling can happen at the injection site. Help from the urologist may be required in this case. Contact us at (718) 568-7143.
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