Available Treatment Options for Impotence

Impotence is the inability of an individual to attain and maintain erection of the penis. The good news about impotence is that it's possible to treat impotence. However, the treatment of impotence depends on its cause as there are a number of causes of impotence. Sometimes, slight changes in the lifestyle are sufficient for treating impotence and sometimes, surgery is performed for treating impotence.

Psychotherapy
Psychological impotence is treated with techniques that decrease the anxiety associated with the intercourse. Patient's partner plays an important role in applying these techniques. Gradual development of intimacy and stimulation are common parts of the techniques used for treating psychological impotence. Techniques used for treating psychological impotence are generally useful for treating physical impotence as well.

Drug therapy
Apart from techniques for decreasing anxiety, drugs are also used for treating impotence. The drugs used for treating impotence can be injected directory into the penis or can be taken orally. Men with low levels of natural testosterone can use oral testosterone to reduce impotence. Sometimes, muscle relaxants are also used to enhance erection. Nitroglycerin is a muscle relaxant which enhances the erection when it is rubbed on the surface of the penis.

Many men inject drugs directly into the penis in order to treat impotence. When drugs are injected directly into the penis, the supply of blood to the penis increases and this reduces impotence. Insufficient supply of blood to the penis is one of the common causes of impotence, and injecting drugs directly into the penis is an effective way to reduce impotence. Phentolamine, papaverine hydrochloride and prostaglandin E1 are some of the drugs that affect the blood vessels so as to improve the blood supply to the penis. However, drugs can create unwanted side effects as well.

Vacuum devices
Sometimes, vacuum devices are also used for treating impotence. Mechanical vacuum devices help an individual to achieve and maintain erection. A plastic cylinder, a pump and an elastic band are three components of a vacuum device. The cylinder is used to place the penis and the pump is used to draw air out of the cylinder. Elastic band is used to maintain the erection after removing the cylinder.

Mechanical vacuum devices create a partial vacuum around the penis. The partial vacuum draws blood into the penis and once the sufficient amount of blood reaches penis, erection is attained. In order to maintain erection, an elastic band is placed around the base of the penis. The elastic band helps in maintaining the erection as it prevents blood from flowing back from the penis.

Surgery
Usually, surgery is performed to reconstruct the arteries so as to increase the flow of blood to the penis. Surgery is carried out to remove the obstructions that block the flow of blood to the penis. Sometimes, surgery is performed to block off the veins that allow blood to leak from the penis.

In this type of surgery, obstructions are created with-in the veins in order to prevent the leakage of blood from the penis. In some situations, surgery is performed to implant devices that restore the erection of the penis. Different types of implants are used to treat impotence. Malleable implants consist of paired rods, which are inserted surgically into the corpora cavernosa.

An end-user needs to adjust the position of the rods and the penis in order to attain erection. Inflatable implants consist of paired cylinders, which are surgically inserted inside the penis. Erection is attained by inflating the cylinders with the help of a small pump. So, it's possible to treat impotence with surgery.