When you get an erection, arteries bring blood to the spongy tissue in your penis. The blood fills this tissue and makes your penis hard.

Failure to get an erection that is…

Most men will experience erectile dysfunction (ED) at some point in their lives.

Common causes of an occasional inability to get (and maintain) a good, hard erection include, anxiety, tiredness, stress,…

Erectile dysfunction and heart disease share many of the same risk factors and erectile dysfunction is estimated to co-exist with heart disease in 40% of cases.

Heart disease is one of the…

Although it is believed that certain medications can cause sexual function issues such as erectile dysfunction, it is very difficult to determine whether a specific medication is the cause of erection problems.

The…

The process of an erection involves the nervous system. For this reason, nerve disorders can lead to erection problems and, ultimately, erectile dysfunction (impotence).

Common nerve disorders which can cause erectile dysfunction…

As with erectile dysfunction (ED) in general, when it occurs in association with cancer or other serious illnesses there is usually a mixture of physical and psychological causes.

The two types of…

t’s been alluded to on television emergency-room dramas, laughed at in the movies and cited as a warning for those taking popular medications. But it is unlikely that you have ever heard the real medical…

Since an erection requires a precise sequence of events, (ED) can occur when any of the events is disrupted. The sequence includes nerve impulses in the brain, spinal column, and area around…

Men with high blood pressure have a new reason to get their condition under control - they may be at risk for erectile dysfunction, medical experts announced today at the American…

Hypertension (high blood pressure)

People with high blood pressure are more likely than average to develop atherosclerosis (or arteriosclerosis), which is commonly known as ‘hardening of the arteries’. Atherosclerosis causes arteries throughout…

Recreational drugs are a major cause of erection problems and the number one problem drug is tobacco. Experiments show that even two cigarettes will markedly decrease the blood flow to the penis if…

The Effects of Disease States and Drugs on Erections

  Cardiovascular Disease is the most common cause of ED and is due to endothelial dysfunction. Studies have demonstrated that two million people have…

Intracavernosal smooth muscle tone is by far the most important determinant of intracavernosal blood flow. Approximately half of the cavernosal volume is composed of smooth muscle, with the remainder consisting of either lacunar spaces…

Penile prostheses are divided into 3 general types: malleable (semirigid), mechanical, and inflatable devices. The malleable devices are made of silicone rubber and several models contain a central intertwined metallic core. The mechanical device is…

Bilateral sympathectomy at the L2 level has resulted in ejaculatory dysfunction in about 40% of patients. High bilateral retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy causes an even higher percentage of emission failures. Retrograde ejaculation is…

Physiology of Emission, Ejaculation, & Orgasm

Different mechanisms are involved in erection, emission, ejaculation, and orgasm, and these events can be dissociated from one another (eg, a frequent complaint…

One of the most dramatic changes in urology has been the introduction of intracavernous injection of vasoactive drugs for the diagnosis and treatment of ED. A list of drugs that have been…

The vacuum constriction device consists of a plastic cylinder connected directly or by tubing to a vacuum-generating source (manual or battery-operated pump). After the penis is engorged by the negative pressure, a constricting ring…

Isolated stenosis or occlusion of the extrapenile arteries is amenable to surgical repair. Restoration of potency has been reported after surgery of the internal iliac and internal pudendal arteries. Currently, the most commonly used…

Alprostadil, the synthetic formulation of PGE1, is the only pharmacologic agent approved by the FDA for the management of ED via intracavernous and transurethral routes. Alprostadil stimulates adenyl cyclase to increase intracellular levels…

Sildenafil citrate (Viagra, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals) is a selective inhibitor of phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5), the enzyme that breaks down the intracellular second messenger of erection cGMP and thus enhances penile erection. The clinical efficacy and safety…

Referral to endocrinology is recommended for patients with thyroid, adrenal, pituitary or hypothalamic dysfunction. The urologist should be aware that aging men with ED may show a variety of symptoms when hypogonadism coexists:…

Although the penile prosthesis remains one of the most effective treatments for all types of ED, nonsurgical management has replaced prosthetic surgery as the preferred choice in the last decade. Both specific…

A. Nocturnal Penile Tumescence (NPT) Test
Nocturnal erections occur in healthy males of all ages. Of the nocturnal erections, about 80% occur during REM sleep. The average man has 3-5 episodes of…

A detailed medical and psychosexual history and a thorough physical examination are the most important steps in the differential diagnosis of sexual dysfunction. Interviewing the partner, if available, is very helpful…