Erectile Dysfunction

Dr. Arnold Melman, Chairman and Professor of Urology, specializes in Erectile Dysfunction (otherwise known as impotence). Erectile Dysfunction is the inability to achieve an erection during sexual intercourse. Approximately 25 to 30 million men in the United States are affected by erectile dysfunction. 

The causes of erectile dysfunction may be psychological and physical. Psychological causes of erectile dysfunction include anxiety, stress, psychiatric illness, and depression. The physical causes are vascular diseases. Vascular disease is a common cause of erectile dysfunction. Vascular diseases may cause problems involving blood flow into the penis to make it erect. They may also cause problems of holding the blood in the penis to maintain the erection during intercourse. Furthermore, hardening of the arteries is also a risk factor for erectile dysfunction.

Combinations of vascular diseases and other diseases may cause erectile dysfunction such as diabetes, alcoholism, multiple sclerosis, high blood pressure, high levels of cholesterol and heart disease. In addition, erectile dysfunction can result from pelvic fractures caused by some kind of accident. The victim may be left with injured nerves and penile arteries that cannot supply enough blood to the penis to obtain an erection.

The choices for treating Erectile Dysfunction are: