1.) Preventing the Deterioration of Penile Tissue
A. Oral Medications: We will place you on certain oral medications to help increase blood flow to the penile tissue and to keep the blood vessels from becoming scarred off. Most patients will begin taking these pills as soon as their catheter has been removed. This will promote nocturnal (nighttime) erections which exercise the tissue in the penis while you are asleep. We may keep you on these pills for one to three months and follow your response.
B. Vacuum Erection Device (VED): This device stretches the tissue of the penis and pulls oxygenated blood into the penis, thereby preventing shrinkage and scarring. We want to place patients on the use of a vacuum device as soon as possible, and that may be six to eight weeks after surgery. This is dependent on comfort, as we do not want to create any pain with this device.
C. Penile Injections: You may want to try these injections if you are not responding to any of the above treatments. There is a minimal amount of pain involved, and these injections are very effective in helping to obtain an erection for sexual activity.
2.) Obtaining Erections for Sex
As soon as you are ready to try and have sex, all of the above treatments can be used to allow you to begin sexual activity. However, we do not want the tissue to deteriorate and the penis to shrink while you are waiting to attempt sexual activity.
Our robotic physicians want to follow you as long as necessary but will refer you back to your original physician if you so desire at any time and for your own convenience. However, we do wish that you would continue to be followed regarding incontinence and erectile dysfunction at our clinic until we have you at a stable point or until you feel that you are satisfied with your function.
If you have any questions or do not feel you are progressing as expected, please call for an appointment at 314-315-9914.