I’ve talked tentatively to my doctor about getting a prescription for Viagra, but I’ve so far hesitated to go ahead because the prices for the drug are higher than I can afford. I keep seeing online advertisements for Viagra at prices that are only a fraction of those charged at my local pharmacy. Is it safe to buy Viagra online?

Unless you know the reputation of an online vendor, buying Viagra and other ED drugs online can be a very risky proposition. It’s been estimated that roughly 90 percent of the ED drugs advertised online are counterfeit.

More importantly, many of these drugs contain potentially toxic ingredients, including dry wall material used as filler and printing ink used as a coloring agent. It’s true that some of these drugs have been found to contain the active ingredients in brand-name ED drugs but at levels that are either too low to be effective or so high that they could be dangerous.

Such ingredients are not listed on the drugs’ labels, so the consumer has no way of knowing the amount of active ingredient he may be getting. Unless you know you’re ordering from a trustworthy online supplier, it’s best to avoid buying ED drugs online.

Is penile prosthesis implant surgery expensive?

Most men with erectile dysfunction are successfully treated with oral medications. Those for whom oral medications are contraindicated, or for whom the pills don’t work also have other options. Injectable therapy with drugs like Caverject is another possibility, as is a penile prosthesis.

If you’re not a good candidate for Viagra or other first line treatments for erectile dysfunction, don’t give up because other options are available.
Depending on the type of implant chosen, the surgery costs up to $20,000, which would include the surgeon’s fee, fees for anesthesia, the cost of the implant, and operating room fees. Medicare will cover penile implant surgery, as will many private insurers. Private insurers, however, are likely to require pre-certification prior to covering the surgery, so it’s essential that patients talk to their insurers before arranging to have penile implant surgery.

Assuming the surgery costs $20,000, how much of that is covered by your insurer will depend on whether you have met your yearly deductible, and what percentage of costs your plan covers after meeting your deductible.

Penile prosthesis surgery is expensive, but many insurance plans offer coverage for it.

Why might men consider having a penile implant?

While prescription medications like Viagra are considered first-line treatments for erectile dysfunction, they’re not for everyone. Men with certain heart conditions should not take these drugs, and there are men for whom the drugs don’t perform well. While a penile implant may seem like an extreme solution, the vast majority of patients who have them are satisfied with them. Inflatable penile prostheses aren’t noticeable when flaccid, and in general, no one knows that a man has one unless he informs them. Finally, some health insurance plans offer coverage for penile implants, and hardly any offer coverage for erectile dysfunction drugs.

I’ve heard that Viagra has been used to help treat some forms of cancer. How is it that a drug designed to overcome the symptoms of erectile dysfunction could be of any use in treating cancer?

Doctors who specialize in the treatment of cancer have long sought ways to attack cancer cells that ironically are sometimes protected by the body’s immune system. Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia, found that combining sildenafil with a derivative of celecoxib, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug sometimes marketed as Celebrex, successfully killed brain cancer stem cells.

The combination works by targeting a protein known as GRP78, a so-called chaperone protein that serves to protect the integrity of certain cells, including certain cancer cells.

The combination succeeded in doing an end run around GRP78 to attack and kill the cancer cells. Moreover, the combination of sildenafil with the celecoxib derivative called OSU-03012, also known as AR-12, has potent antimicrobial properties.

Scientists said this combination drug could also prove effective in treating viral infections such as influenza, hepatitis, and Ebola, as well as antibiotic-resistant bacteria such MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus).

I’ve heard that Viagra has been used to help treat some forms of cancer. How is it that a drug designed to overcome the symptoms of erectile dysfunction could be of any use in treating cancer?

Doctors who specialize in the treatment of cancer have long sought ways to attack cancer cells that ironically are sometimes protected by the body’s immune system. Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia, found that combining sildenafil with a derivative of celecoxib, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug sometimes marketed as Celebrex, successfully killed brain cancer stem cells.

The combination works by targeting a protein known as GRP78, a so-called chaperone protein that serves to protect the integrity of certain cells, including certain cancer cells.

The combination succeeded in doing an end run around GRP78 to attack and kill the cancer cells. Moreover, the combination of sildenafil with the celecoxib derivative called OSU-03012, also known as AR-12, has potent antimicrobial properties.

Scientists said this combination drug could also prove effective in treating viral infections such as influenza, hepatitis, and Ebola, as well as antibiotic-resistant bacteria such MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus).

How are penile prostheses implanted?

The procedure to implant the penile prosthesis is done in a surgery center or hospital, and may be done under general anesthesia or spinal anesthesia, which blocks pain and sensation in the lower part of your body.

After inserting a catheter into your bladder to collect urine, the surgeon makes an incision either in the penis itself or in the lower abdomen and fully extends the corpora cavernosa, which are the spongy tissues inside the penis that fill with blood during an erection.

The implant, customized to the patient’s exact body measurements, is then implanted in the penis, with the pump and fluid reservoir implanted afterward. The entire procedure usually takes 45 minutes to an hour.

Recovery takes four to six weeks, and this is about how long it will take before patients are ready for sexual activity. Many doctors recommend that during recovery, patients fully inflate and deflate the implants twice a day for practice and to help stretch the tissues surrounding the cylinders.

I’m in my late 30s and have begun to have difficulty in getting an erection? Is taking Viagra or one of the other oral ED drugs my only option? Or are there steps I can take to regain normal erectile function?

Viagra is probably your best bet if you suffer from impotence caused by vascular insufficiency, but other options are available for those who find that the drug doesn’t work for them or who suffer from ED that stems from other causes. Others may find that they can’t tolerate some of Viagra’s side effects, which are usually mild but can be particularly bothersome to those sensitive to the drug’s effects.

Other options for the treatment of ED include penile injection therapy, which involves the injection of a vasodilating drug — alprostadil most often — directly into the penis minutes before sexual activity is expected to begin.

This form of treatment has a very high success rate but isn’t for those who find it difficult, if not impossible, to picture themselves injecting a needle into the penis. Other options include penile implants, which range in sophistication from a flexible rod surgically implanted that can be manipulated into place for sexual activity to more advanced systems. The latter usually consist of plastic cylinders that replace the penis’s corpora cavernosa — twin columns of spongy erectile tissue — and can be filled on demand with fluid pumped from a reservoir implanted under the skin of the lower abdomen.

What is a penile prosthesis?

A penile prosthesis is an implant that is surgically placed inside the penis so that men with erectile dysfunction can function sexually. Two major types of penile implants are available: inflatable and semi-rigid. Of the inflatable type, two subtypes (two-piece and three-piece) are available.

Of the inflatable prostheses, the two-piece varieties consist of an inflatable cylinder piece that is implanted in the shaft of the penis and a unit stored in the scrotum that serves as both a fluid reservoir and pump unit.

The three-piece prosthesis separates the pump from the fluid reservoir, with the pump being implanted in the scrotum and the fluid reservoir being implanted under the abdominal wall. Semi-rigid implants don’t have pumps, but are positioned upward for sexual activity and downward so they’re discreet underneath clothing.

Can I take Cialis daily if I have benign prostate enlargement?

Yes! In 2011, Cialis daily therapy was approved for treatment of erectile dysfunction alone, or erectile dysfunction accompanied by benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), which is non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate. Symptoms of BPH can be unpleasant and include difficulty urinating, as well as pain upon urinating and an increased risk of infections of the urinary tract.

Cialis taken daily at a low dosage can offer men both relief from BPH symptoms and relief from erectile dysfunction.

This too has been a big selling point for Cialis, because not only do other prescription medications for erectile dysfunction not offer daily, low-dose therapy, none is approved for treatment of BPH.

Does Viagra effectively treat ED regardless of its cause?

Q. Does Viagra effectively treat ED regardless of its cause? Or is it intended only for some forms of impotence?

A. Viagra and the other oral ED drugs that followed in its wake are all designed to treat ED that’s caused by insufficient blood flow to the penis, the largest single cause of impotence. If your ED has its origins in psychological causes or results from a congenital or traumatic injury to the arteries that supply blood to the pelvic region, your doctor can recommend alternative therapies.

It is possible that Viagra might have a placebo effect on men whose ED is not vascular in nature, but it probably won’t work over the long haul in such situations. Those who are suffering from ED that is psychological in origin would be better served through psychological counseling, while surgical intervention might be required to resolve injury to the arteries in the pelvic region.