Erectile Dysfunction
Any disorders of erection are termed erectile dysfunction (impotence being an obsolete term).
The disease occurs in almost 16% of men and its frequency increases significantly with age.
The causes of erection disorders can be very different, from psychogenic (15%) to organic (85%), associated with damage to the vessels and nerves of the penis, hormonal imbalance, concomitant diseases, as well as medications taken and undergone oncological surgeries on the pelvic organs (radical prostatectomy, radical cystectomy, etc.).
Modern diagnostics of erectile dysfunction involves collection of the information using special questionnaires, finding out history of the disease, performing laboratory blood tests for certain hormonal and biochemical parameters, as well as the use of special methods that evaluate blood circulation in the penis (penile Doppler ultrasonography, cavernosography, etc.).
Effective treatment of 90% of erectile dysfunction is based on a stepwise principle, starting with the elimination of avoidable risk factors before prescribing drugs, more often in the form of tablets, less often in the form of injections. In 10% of cases, to restore potency, a penile implant surgery is required, the effectiveness of which exceeds 98%. In rare situations, it is possible to perform surgical intervention on the vessels of the penis.