A vacuum constriction device (VCD) is an external pump with a band on it
that a man with erectile dysfunction can use to get and maintain an
erection.
The VCD consists of an acrylic cylinder with a pump that may be attached
directly to the end of the penis. A constriction ring or band is placed on the
cylinder at the other end, which is applied to the body. The cylinder and pump
are used to create a vacuum to help the penis become erect; the band or
constriction ring is used to help maintain the erection.
Risks of Vacuum Constriction Devices
The vacuum pump. This is the classic of the penis enlargement device genre.
You stick your penis into a cylinder attached to a pump that sucks out the air.
The resulting vacuum draws extra blood into your penis, making it erect and a
little bigger. You then clamp off the penis with a tight ring -- like a
tourniquet -- to keep the blood from escaping back into your body.
Penis pumps do
have a real medical use: They help men with erectile dysfunction. But the pump
has no lasting effect on the size of your penis. You will deflate to normal size
once you remove the ring.
Risks include temporary impotence, blisters, bruises,
ruptured blood vessels, and discolored and thickened skin. The clamping should
not be done for longer than 20 to 30 minutes at most since it will eventually
cause tissue damage.
Place the pump, which can be pumped by hand or run on batteries, over the penis.
Pump the air out of the cylinder so that a vacuum is created. The vacuum draws blood into the shaft of the penis and causes it to swell and become erect.
Once the penis is erect, with the help of lubricant, slide the retaining band down onto the lower end of the penis.
Remove the pump after releasing the vacuum.
Intercourse can be attempted with the constriction band in place to help
maintain the erection. The band can be left on safely for up to 30 minutes to
allow for successful intercourse.
Be sure that devices brought without a prescription contains a "quick release" feature, as there have been reports of penile injuries due to devices that did not release its vacuum on-demand or released it too slowly.
How Well Do Vacuum Constriction Devices Work?
Studies suggest that about 50%-80% of men are satisfied with the results of
VCDs. As with any other method of treatment for erectile dysfunction (ED),
satisfaction rates may decrease with time.
Who Should Consider Using a Vacuum Constriction
Device?
Vacuum constriction devices are safe and can be used by patients with ED
caused by many conditions, including:
Vacuum constriction devices should not be used by men who may have a
significant congenital bleeding disorder or a disorder that predisposes them to
a condition called priapism (a prolonged, sometime painful erection lasting
over several hours). Examples include sickle cell anemia, some forms of
leukemia, and other blood conditions.
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problem among men characterized by the consistent inability to sustain an
erection sufficient for sexual intercourse or the inability to achieve
ejaculation, or both. Impotence can have emotional causes but most often it is
due to a physical problem.
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Enjoying a satisfying sex life as we age is important to both physical and mental health. As we age, diseases and conditions may pose challenges in our sexual health, and sexual experiences. Learn how to manage your conditions and still have a gratifying sex life as you age.
Sexual health information including birth control, impotence, herpes, sexually transmitted diseases, staying healthy, women's sexual health concerns, and men's sexual health concerns. Learn about the most common sexual conditions affecting men and women.
Depressive disorders have been with mankind since the beginning of recorded history. In the Bible, King David, as well as Job, suffered from this affliction. Hippocrates referred to depression as melancholia, which literally means black bile. Black bile, along with blood, phlegm, and yellow bile were the four humors (fluids) that described the basic medical physiology theory of that time. Depression, also referred to as clinical depression, has been portrayed in literature and the arts for hundreds of years, but what do we mean today when we refer to a depressive disorder? In the 19th century, depression was seen as an inherited weakness of temperament. In the first half of the 20th century, Freud linked the development of depression to guilt and conflict. John Cheever, the author and a modern sufferer of depressive disorder, wrote of conflict and experiences with his parents as influencing his development of depression.
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