Seeking help for erectile dysfunction takes courage. It’s a vulnerable issue for most men, and no one should feel pressured into making an expensive decision while they’re in that position. Patients need honest guidance and the time to make informed decisions – not high-pressure sales tactics. Several years ago, I wrote about the aggressive marketing […]
The difference between 3-piece inflatable and malleable penile implants comes down to mechanics, device design, long-term maintenance expectations, optics, anatomy, and patient lifestyle. Which one you chose is best discussed with your surgeon. Erectile dysfunction (ED) that does not respond to medications like sildenafil (Viagra), tadalafil (Cialis), or other medications leads patients to consider surgical […]
Patients should be aware that, depending on their age, degree of prostatic growth, and the technique chosen to address BPH symptoms, they may need multiple procedures over their lifetime. BPH, or benign prostatic hyperplasia, is a very common condition that most men will experience at some point after the age of 50. In fact, half […]
There are multiple manufacturers of penile implants, and choosing the right one for you is based on your unique physiology and anatomy. This guide can help with your decision-making, and your urologist can help you fill in any blanks. Penile implants. There are plenty of visceral reactions at the mention, but for many (96%) men […]
Surgery to treat prostatic cancer—and in particular the removal of the prostate, known as a prostatectomy—has made leaps and bounds since the old days of technologically unassisted open surgery. In the late 80s and early 90s, surgery took one of its most significant leaps forward with the advent of laparoscopy, using long-handled tools and tiny […]
Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) for patients with a history of prostate cancer is more nuanced than once believed. While it isn’t for all men, new data suggests it can be an option when certain conditions are met. Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) and prostate cancer in the same context have held a lot of tension in […]
Pumpkin seed oil has shown positive results in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). That said, researchers are still trying to figure out the mechanism behind how it works. There’s no shortage of advice floating around when it comes to prostate health. People will try anything, from supplements to folk remedies. Some of it […]
Some symptoms of low testosterone can actually be caused by other factors, like a lack of sleep or too much stress. Serum levels alone do not indicate testosterone deficiency, and adding more to your body can backfire if you don’t actually need it. Often in the fitness and wellness spaces, testosterone can be treated like […]
If you watched the Super Bowl this year, you probably saw the “tight end” commercial – the one that used humor to make a serious point: more men need to get screened for prostate cancer. On that message, I’m fully aligned, and it was a great way to open up the dialogue. If you do […]
“We don’t want to cure the disease and break the man.” A Southern accent on the UroNurse podcast begins by describing the importance of a life well-lived post-prostate cancer treatment, and you can hear the subdued excitement he’s holding back about his profession. Dr. Brent Sharpe loves what he does and cares about people becoming […]
When a routine but urgent surgery at a major hospital turned into a trauma case, Jane was left with damaged ureters, and her life was transformed into a struggle, dependent on nephrostomy urine bags and frequent hospital visits. “We were told [the ureter] was never irreparable,” recalled her daughter, Jill, who is Jane’s primary caregiver […]
Chances are, you’ve heard the acronym “PSA.” It stands for prostate-specific antigen, a protein produced by cells in the prostate, which is a walnut-sized gland below the bladder that’s involved in semen production. Normally, only small amounts of PSA enter the bloodstream. But when the prostate is affected by certain health conditions, PSA levels can […]