Erectile Dysfunction

The Men’s Health Program at El Camino Health offers multiple alternatives to help those who have difficulty maintaining an erection sufficient for sex. The good news is a significant percentage of men will respond to therapies.

However, we want you to know that ED can be an early warning sign of heart disease. We hope an awareness of the connection between the two health issues will help you overcome self-consciousness when it comes to talking to your doctor about something as personal as sexual function.

Instead of guessing or worrying, make an appointment with one of our urologists. You’ll find a sympathetic team and a supportive, confidential environment at Men’s Health, where ED is a central focus. Our doctors are experts in alleviating its symptoms. You’ll undergo an exceptionally thorough diagnosis of your overall health. If there’s an underlying cause, we’ll find it and pull together the right team of doctors to address it.

We offer highly personalized, safe and effective treatment for ED, including:

• Prescribed oral medications. Prescription drugs, such as Viagra, Cialis and Levitra, increase blood flow to the penis so it can become erect. These erectile dysfunction medications don't increase your sex drive and only cause erections when you are sexually stimulated.
• Injections and intraurethral suppositories. With these methods, you self-administer medicine into the penis to relax the blood vessels and allow increased blood flow into the penis, creating an erection. For penile injections, a man or his partner uses a tiny needle to inject medicine directly into the side of the penis. For intraurethral suppositories, a slim applicator is inserted into the urinary tube, delivering medication via a small suppository.
• Vacuum devices. You place a plastic cylinder over the penis, and a pump (manual or battery operated) creates vacuum suction within the cylinder, drawing blood into the penis to create an erection that is maintained by placing an elastic band over the base of the penis.
• Hormone replacement therapy. Testosterone replacement therapy may improve energy and heighten sexual interest in older men who may have deficient levels of testosterone. It is available in an oral and injectable form, cream or gel, and as a skin patch.
• Penile implants. Penile implants are tubes placed inside the penis by your surgeon that can mimic the erection process — an option when less invasive ED treatments are not appropriate or have not been successful. New designs and surgical techniques have improved their safety and efficacy. Penile implants have one of the highest satisfaction rates of any ED therapy.

Improve Erectile Function with Healthy Lifestyle Changes

Ongoing ED may be prevented or resolved when you make small but impactful changes to your lifestyle:

• If you smoke, quit smoking.
• Exercise regularly.
• Reduce stress.
• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Eat a balanced diet.
• Review your medications with your doctor, and discuss possible medications that could be causing your ED.
• Avoid excessive use of alcohol and recreational drugs.
• Manage serious health conditions such as diabetes, kidney disease and cardiovascular disease by following your doctor’s orders.