A man’s private issues might be taken for granted, until he is troubled in the middle of the night, whether in the bathroom or the bedroom.
With advanced treatment available, nonetheless, there is no shame in being aware of these problems and reaching out to a urologist for diagnosis and treatment.
In cases of a slow stream of urine or waking up at night to pass urine, a urinary dysfunction might be present, according to Dr. Ronny Tan, senior consultant, urologist, and andrologist at Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore.
“A lot of times, for men, in terms of the slow urination, it is due to prostate enlargement,” Dr. Tan said.
“As a man ages, the prostate increases in size, [which we] call benign prostate hypertrophy (BPH), which is a non-cancerous growth of prostate. At the same time, his chance of having prostate cancer also increases,” he added.
On the other hand, the most common private issues concerning sexual function, as Dr. Tan noticed, include erectile dysfunction (ED), as well as premature ejaculation and penile deformities.
ED is not just a sexual problem, the urologist added, that other conditions can contribute to such difficulties.
“We would want to find out whether he has any hormonal issues like testosterone deficiency,” Dr. Tan said.
Once men experience any of these conditions, they are advised to see a urologist in order to prevent further urinary or reproductive problems.
“I will suggest that any patient who has any urinary symptoms to seek attention from a urologist because other than an enlarged prostate, we would have to rule out conditions like prostate cancer and even bladder cancer, especially if the patient presents blood in his urine,” Dr. Tan said.
Urologists have several options for treating BPH, often starting with lifestyle modification and oral medications.
Oral medication, however, has its side effects, particularly ED and ejaculatory dysfunction.
“I will look at the age of the patient and whether the patient still wants to be sexually active and whether he accepts the possible side effects of oral medications,” Dr. Tan said.
In cases where men are not keen for medications, surgery is the next option to consider. The most common of which is the transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). This technique, though, has a side effect.
“TURP is a good option, but the problem is it results in retrograde ejaculation, which some sexually active men may not be able to accept,” Dr. Tan said.
Nonetheless, minimally invasive techniques have made treatment more convenient and less painful, without compromising sexual functions.
For BPH, these include the UroLift system, which uses implants to open up the urethra; and the high-power greenlight laser vaporization, which uses laser to vaporize prostatic tissue.
For ED, other than oral medications, penile injections have also been used. Currently, the true cure for ED is still the placement of the penile implant. Lately, low-intensity extracorporeal shockwave therapy (LiESWT) is a minimally-invasive option that can potentially cure erectile dysfunction. It is also found to improve the circulation in the genital and regenerate nerves to improve erections.
These options are available at Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore, with specialists like Dr. Tan who are highly skilled in performing advanced treatments, as well as other professionals who can collaborate with him in giving patients the best holistic treatment.
“We might even get our psychiatrist or psychologist to counsel couples if needed,” Dr. Tan explained. “And if we do find other organic causes (e.g., more complicated hormonal issues other than testosterone deficiency), we have other subspecialty doctors who can get involved with treating the patients.”
For inquiries, please contact our patient assistance center located at G/F-B, Marco Polo Hotel, Meralco Avenue and Sapphire Street, Ortigas Center, Pasig City 1600; e-mail manila.ph@ihhhealthcare.com or call 0917-526-7576. Follow us at facebook.com/MountElizabethHospitalsSGPhilippinesOffice.
For inquiries, please contact our patient assistance center located at G/F-B, Marco Polo Hotel, Meralco Avenue and Sapphire Street, Ortigas Center, Pasig City 1600; e-mail manila.ph@ihhhealthcare.com or call 0917-526-7576. Follow us at facebook.com/MountElizabethHospitalsSGPhilippinesOffice.
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