A report from my recent CME course

I just came back from DC, where I attended a CME course on sexual medicine. The course was given by heavy hitters in the field and it was terrific. Here are some take away points from the weekend:

1: Phosphodiesterase inhibitors, such as Viagra, may have a role in prevention and treatment of some forms of priapism, a painful, prolonged erection that if left untreated may result in long term disability.
2: Patients with suspected penile fracture may benefit from surgical exploration up to 1 month after the event.
3: Premature ejaculation has a new definition, as follows:
latency < 1 minute
Inability to control or delay ejaculation
psychological disturbance from the problem
4: Women with some forms of sexual arousal problems may benefit from treatment with a combination of estradiol, testosterone, and progesterone.
5: Women with some forms of sexual pain disorders may benefit from treatment with estradiol or low dose testosterone gel.
6: Intra-lesional verapamil injections shows promise in reversing plaque formation in patients with Peyronies disease.
7: Priapism of > 36 hours duration can be treated with a new type of shunt procedure called a T-T Shunt.
. . .and more to follow.

Thanks,

The IU.

Avoid Kidney Stones This Holiday

Every year, during the period from Thanksgiving to New Years, I get a flurry of frantic kidney stone calls. Why is that?
Kidney stones, in general, form under conditions of dehydration or acid load to the kidneys. In the summer months, we see a increase in kidney stones due to dehydration. Couple that with a July 4th BBQ, and we see even more.
In the winter months, dehydration is less of a factor, but constant feasting between Thanksgiving and New Years Eve produces what is known as an acid load into the kidneys. The acid load causes kidney stones to form.
This year, I recommend the following to prevent stones from forming in the first place:
1: Eat in moderation
2: Eat less animal protein, that is red meat, fish, and poultry
3: Drink plenty of water or lemonade
4: Make sure your taking your stone prevention medications
Good luck, and of course, if you do have kidney stone pain, call me!
Thanks,
The IU.