Penile Doppler in Hartford, CT

What is a Penile Doppler?

A penile doppler is a routine ultrasound procedure used to analyze blood flow to the penis. The penile doppler is most commonly used to provide better insight into erectile dysfunction (ED) and your response to vasodilation medication that enhances blood flow to the penis. It also helps determine if you have an inflow or outflow type of ED.

A penile doppler is a crucial diagnostic tool that helps assess blood flow to the penis, providing valuable insights into the causes of erectile dysfunction (ED). This minimally invasive procedure allows your provider to differentiate between vascular and nonvascular issues, guiding the appropriate treatment options.

If you’re seeking answers about your ED, reach out to Pregenzer Urology in Hartford, CT, and call (860) 962-6600 to schedule your consultation today!

What is Erectile Dysfunction?

Erectile dysfunction is an ongoing inability to achieve, maintain, or both achieve and maintain a penile erection sufficient to engage in satisfactory sexual activity. For patients with ED, the main role of penile doppler imaging is to differentiate between vascular and nonvascular causes.

According to the American Journal of Roentgenology, the cause of ED for 75 percent is the imbalance of the penile blood inflow/outflow and nerve dysfunctions. A penile doppler can help give you insight into the cause of your ED.

ED is a common medical disorder that:

• Primarily affects men older than 40 years old
• Is strongly related to age
• Has a high prevalence, estimated to affect approximately half of men between 40 and 70 years old

ED may have a significant impact on quality of life, and imaging is a step in getting you the answers you deserve.

Why Do Urologists Use a Penile Doppler?

A penile doppler:

• Helps assess the anatomy
• Gives insight into blood flow
• Is highly available
• Is minimally invasive
• Is cost-effective
• Is well tolerated by the patient

If you come to get help for ED, a provider may prescribe vasodilator drugs. However, a penile doppler can help determine if this would be effective. The medication may not be able to dilate the arteries feeding the erectile bodies. It would be wasteful and inconvenient for you to try all these therapies if a penile doppler could predict their failure upfront.

How is a Penile Doppler Performed?

1. You should refrain from taking any erection medication prior to imaging.
2. The imaging procedure is performed while you are lying on your back on the examining room table.
3. A medicine is injected into the penis with a tiny needle to help induce an erection within minutes. This medicine helps to relax the erectile muscles in your penis, dilate your penile arteries, and increase blood flow to your penis, resulting in an erection.
4. Your provider will assess the erection and perform the imaging using an ultrasound wand.
5. The veins and nerves of the penis are also analyzed during the test.
6. Your provider will discuss the findings and talk you through the images on the screen.
7. If the erection lasts beyond the completion of the test, you may require a small injection of adrenaline to prevent a prolonged erection.
8. You are released by your provider and asked to refrain from any sexual activity for the rest of the day.

Effectiveness of a Penile Doppler

A penile doppler is very effective because the penis is an organ composed of many different types of soft-tissue structures. It is also a highly vascular organ, making it very straightforward when performing imaging tests.

Possible Side-Effects of a Penile Doppler

Before the imaging, you and your provider may discuss any concerns or potential side effects to determine if a penile doppler is right for you. Some risks of a penile doppler may include:

• A painful injection
• A small area of bruising at the injection site
• Feeling lightheaded after the procedure
• Prolonged erection

Other Conditions Analyzed by a Penile Doppler

A penile doppler is a very effective diagnostic tool for ED. In fact, a penile doppler can also give insight to other conditions or diseases that you may not be aware of.

For example, the survival rate of cancer patients after pelvic surgery for prostate, bladder, or rectal cancer has improved and so penile doppler can help those men who may struggle with ED as a cancer survivor.

A penile doppler in connection with ED can also act as a potential warning sign of cardiovascular disease, as ED is a common symptom of those who develop the disease. This imaging may also help with silent coronary artery disease (CAD) in men with ED as it is one of the earliest manifestations of symptoms related to this disease.

Sources:
https://www.browardurologycenter.com/treatments/advanced-imaging/penile-doppler-ultrasound/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5769945/

https://www.ajronline.org/doi/full/10.2214/AJR.19.22141?mobileUi=0