Other ED Treatments
What is MUSE? Is it an option to treat my ED?
For some patients for whom medications do not work there are alternatives. One alternative includes an intraurethral suppository called MUSE, which is a small pellet that goes into the urethra, dissolves, and can give patients erections after it dissolves. Typically, this medicine takes approximately 10 to 20 minutes to work. The advantages of this medicine are that it can work in patients for whom oral tablets such as Viagra, Levitra, and Cialis do not work. The other advantage is that it can be taken with the oral tablets to increase the chances of getting an erection.
What is the problem with MUSE?
Typically, insertion of the suppository is not as painful as one might imagine. The problem with the MUSE is that cost can be expensive, particularly for patients whose insurance plan may not cover the cost. In New York City, average cost have been reported anywhere between $30 to approximately $40 per dose. In addition to this, although insertion of the pellet is not painful for most patients when the pellet dissolves some patients report discomfort in their scrotum and in the base of the penis.
What about Penile Injections? How are Penile Injections Used?
An alternative to MUSE are intracorporal injections which are medications that the patient himself injects using a small needle at 2 o’clock or 10 o’clock into the base of the penis. Now this sound like it could be painful, but for the majority of the patients they are able to do this quite easily and do not have large amount of pain when they inject. The injections work for most patients and depending on the dose the patient requires are usually relatively cheap (typically a few dollars per shot). Multiple medications can be combined into the injection to make it more effective. The disadvantage of the injections aside from having to use needles is that the medicine often has to be kept cold. So, for example, when going on a romantic getaway, patients have to carry a small ice pack with them to keep the medications cold.
What is a Vacuum Erectile Device?
A third option aside different from medications is the vacuum erectile device (VED). This is basically a device that allows blood to be sucked up into the penis to make it larger and then trapped there using a clamp placed at the base of the penis to give the patient enough penile firmness for intercourse. The vacuum erectile device is relatively cheap and can be reused over and over and it can be used with medications such as Viagra. The disadvantage of the vacuum erectile device is that the patient describes an uncomfortable sensation with the device and a feeling that it is not a “normal” erection.
Why Choose a Uro Center Urologist in New York?
The urologists at the Uro Center in New York are experts in their field, bringing academic and research based innovation to the clinical forefront. Our urology team specializes in areas of treatment such as: robotic surgery, reconstructive urology, men’s health & infertility, kidney stones, urologic oncology, penile implant surgery, urethral stricture, BPH, Urinary incontinence treatment, Mesh complications, Enlarged prostate treatment, Urodynamics, vesicovaginal fistula and female incontinence in New York.
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