Erectile dysfunction is a very personal and intimate topic for men. When it strikes, they often feel hopeless, but adult toys can provide some effective solutions, you just have to be open
to trying, and if nothing else does it, be motivated by the knowledge that without a healthy sex life, relationships can suffer.
Impotence. Unfortunately, it’s a common side-effect of prostate surgery because the two bundles of nerves and associated blood vessels that enable men to achieve an erection lie either side of the prostate. If a man has a radical prostatectomy (the removal of the entire prostate) then he won’t achieve an erection for months. Having been inevitably battered during surgery, the necessary nerves won’t want to work properly. If one of the nerve bundles was damaged or removed during surgery, then the man’s ability to achieve erection diminishes further and if both nerve bundles are damaged or removed then, post-surgery, he will not be able to achieve an erection at all. Modern ‘nerve-sparing’ techniques mean surgeons are often able to avoid the vital nerves,
but it really depends how close to them the cancer is growing. Post prostate surgery, all men are going to need a little help with their erections, for at least a little while. There are several drugs that can help with erectile dysfunction. There are phosphodiesterase inhibitors, such as sildenafil (eg: Viagra) which can promote erections. These will not work if both sets of nerves have been damaged or removed, though. Then there is alprostadil, a synthetic version of prostaglandin E1 which is made naturally in the body and can produce erections. Alprostadil can be injected into the base of the penis five to ten minutes before a man has sex or he can put it into the tip of his penis as a suppository. And then there are things like vacuum pumps and cock rings that can help a man to achieve and sustain an erection. We asked Chris, Managing Director of the Australian mega-mall of adult stores SexToys247.net.au, about his experiences in helping men deal with impotence, post prostate surgery. Here’s what he had to say…
“Most people think of sex toys as being just about naughty fun,” Chris says, “but they can definitely be used for legitimate therapeutic purposes. We often get referrals from surgeons who do prostate surgery. They are of the opinion that you need to, ‘use it or lose it’, but that’s a bit difficult if you can’t get or sustain an erection. We recommend the obvious penis pumps and cock rings which work by increasing the blood flow, but depending on the extent of the nerve damage, those don’t always work. Luckily, there are other things that men struggling with erectile dysfunction can consider.”
To see a list of Chris’ recommendations check out SexToys247.net.au or page 96 in The January 2015 issue of MAXIM Australia.
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