Men's Sexual Health
At Rutherford Urology, we treat men for sexual health conditions that include erectile dysfunction (ED, or impotence) and infertility. We also perform simple procedures like vasectomies and complicated procedures like vasectomy reversal.
Our trained professional team, led by a board-certified urologist, works closely with other specialists to provide you with full access to the scope of services required to diagnose and treat your condition.
Erectile dysfunction
Having erection trouble is not necessarily a cause for concern, but if it continues it can cause stress, lower self-confidence and strain relationships.
Talking to your doctor about erectile dysfunction can be embarrassing but the condition is both common and treatable. You’re not alone: between 20-30 million men in the United States suffer from this.
Causes: Each diagnosis is individual, but contributing risk factors can include medical problems (especially diabetes and heart conditions), smoking, obesity, radiation treatment for cancer, nerve damage, drug and alcohol use, and psychological conditions (stress, anxiety or depression).
Signs and symptoms: If time and again your penis can’t get or stay hard enough to have sex, you may have erectile dysfunction.
Treatment options: Your urologist will address any underlying health problems first. For example, your erectile dysfunction may be caused by untreated diabetes or obesity. Many men have succeeded with oral medicines (pills). Other therapies include implants, injections and vacuum devices.
Peyronie’s disease
Penises come in varying sizes and shapes, so having a curved erection is not necessarily something to be concerned about. However, Peyronie’s disease can cause a significant bend in the penis that can cause painful erections.
Causes: It’s not clear what causes Peyronie’s disease, although many researchers believe it may be caused by repeated injury to the penis, typically during sex, athletic activity or in an accident.
Signs and symptoms: The most noticeable symptom is a significant bend to the penis, either upward, downward or to one side. Scar tissue can be felt under the skin of an erect penis as flat lumps or a band of hard tissue. Sometimes an erect penis might have a narrowing, indentations or an hourglass appearance. There may also be a tight, narrow band around the shaft.
Peyronie’s disease can cause pain, erection problems, and may also cause your penis to become shorter.
Treatment options: If the bend in your penis is not too severe, and you can still have sexual intercourse with little or no pain, your urologist may simply wait to see if anything changes. If the condition worsens, medication or surgery may be needed.
Infertility
Infertile men have problems delivering healthy sperm to the woman’s egg during sexual intercourse. This condition can be heartbreaking for couples that want to conceive a child. The good news is, even for men with very low sperm count, it only takes one sperm to make a baby.
Causes: According to the National Institutes of Health, the cause of about half of male infertility cases could not be determined. However, the following factors may contribute to the cause:
- Varicose veins in the scrotum (varicocele)
- Genetic problems
- Infections that affect the testicles, including gonorrhea and chlamydia
- Exposures to heat or toxic chemicals
- Drugs and medications
- Hormonal imbalance
Signs and symptoms: The main sign of male infertility is the inability to conceive a child. There may be no other obvious signs or symptoms.
Treatment options: With infertility, the female partner should also be checked. But even if the cause can’t be determined, your urologist can recommend a possible remedy, including surgery, antibiotics, treatment for erectile dysfunction, hormone therapy. Your urologist can also surgically obtain sperm, to be used in procedures like in vitro fertilization.
Vasectomy
Vasectomy is a quick, safe, and effective form of birth control for men who are certain they don't want to father a child in the future. Your urologist surgically cuts and seals the vas deferens, which is the tube that carries sperm from the testicles to the semen. Vasectomies are nearly 100% effective in preventing pregnancy. And at Rutherford Urology, the procedure typically takes less than an hour.
Among the other benefits:
- After your urologist administers a local anesthetic to your scrotum, the area will become numb and you shouldn’t feel much during the operation.
- Low risk of complications or side effects.
- Cost is far less than the cost of female sterilization (tubal ligation) or the long-term cost of birth control medications for women.
- No need to take birth control steps before sex, such as putting on a condom.
Vasectomy reversal
While vasectomy is considered a permanent birth control solution, it’s possible to reverse it. There are several reasons for men to want this, such as the loss of a child, a change of heart or remarriage.
After your urologist reconnects the vas deferens, sperm will be able to travel from the testicle to the semen. Your ability to get your partner pregnant depends on several factors, including time since the original vasectomy, your partner’s age, skill and experience of the surgeon performing the operation, and whether you had fertility issues before the vasectomy.