Venous leak is an issue in the male reproductive system. It is important to understand what a venous leak really is so that a timely diagnosis and treatment could be decided. Even though most fertility issues are often considered to be associated with the female and most people are quick to dissociate male factor infertility from the reasons, it is worthwhile taking a note of the statistics.
Research suggests that about 33% of cases of failure in pregnancy are predicated on male factor infertility, a number that is too high to just sweep under the carpet. In Pakistan, issues around reproduction are considered taboo and are avoided in a conversation.
However, globally many men suffer at the hands of venous leaks, often silently. This may augment the misery if the issue reaches a point of no return. This article aims to impart knowledge about the latest venous leak treatment in Pakistan offered by Dr. Imtiaz Ahmed, who is an Endovascular Surgical Specialist and Interventional Radiologist. Through this article, we hope to provide a solution to those who think they may have lost the chance of becoming a father.
The ABC of Venous leak and Erectile Dysfunction
A venous leak may be a major contributing factor to a man’s inability in maintaining tumescence (state of erection). Ideally, arterial dilation and occlusion allow for sustaining erection. However, if a man suffers from a venous leak, the balance between blood inflow and outflow is disrupted.
In simpler words, the blood that enters the penis should stay in the sinusoids for anywhere between a few minutes to about thirty minutes. In the venous leak, the blood inflow may be normal but due to an error in venous occlusion, it leaves the penis too quickly, leading to a loss in tumescence. This is analogous to a bucket being filled with sand but an opening on the other end simultaneously emptying it, resulting in a bucket with no sand. In the context of veins, this hole in the bucket refers to insufficiency in constriction which results in the blood “leaking” back into the body.
Furthermore, vein leakage isn’t specific to anatomical locations. It may occur anywhere in the body as the network of blood vessels run throughout the length of it. However, its consequences of occurring in the penis directly classify venous leak as one of the most common causes of vasculogenic impotence or erectile dysfunction.
This is especially observed in younger men who either have a paucity of knowledge pertaining to venous leak, or their ignorance of the symptoms which leads to worsening of the condition. Early diagnosis is paramount in deciding the success of the treatment.
Impotency is often multifaceted and attributing a single factor to its cause would be a grave mistake. However, research suggests that one in five men suffer from ED and seek venous leak treatment after they notice the symptoms. Such men may complain about an abnormality in tumescence but experience a normal libido/sexual drive, otherwise.
When to seek a doctor’s examination?
While there is no way to ascertain why some men get a venous leak, but others don’t, specialists have narrowed it down to some underlying conditions that put you at a greater risk for the defect.
If you or anyone you know has these underlying conditions accompanied by a failure in sustaining erections, it is time to take a visit to the best Venous leak doctor in Pakistan, Dr. Imtiaz Ahmad. Some of the diseases and conditions that predispose a person to venous leak include:
- Diabetes
- Peyronie’s disease
- Other vascular diseases
- Stress and anxiety
Treatment Options
Treatment options for a venous leak are commensurate with the severity of the defect. While many men may respond well to oral erectile dysfunction medications or injections, urethral suppositories are advised by the doctor. Nevertheless, when these still fail to work, doctors suggest the most common surgical cure for avenous leak, which is the ligation surgery of the deep dorsal veins.
It is justified when patients go through a surgical procedure and expect complete relief from a venous leak, however in ligation surgery collateral arteries develop after about twelve months, greatly reducing the efficacy of the procedure. Furthermore, another treatment option is that of penile implants, also known as penile prostheses. Implants are suggested to patients who may not be able to benefit from other treatment options, but the implant should help improve their sexual performance. One drawback of the penile implant is slow recovery and pain.
Lastly, the modern approach to the treatment of venous leak combines endovascular therapy with embolization. This treatment approach is a minimally invasive method, performed under fluoroscopic guidance. The next part of the article looks at this in more detail.
Venous Leak treatment in Pakistan
The safest Venous Leak treatment in Pakistan is being conducted by Dr. Imtiaz Ahmad, who is an endovascular Surgical Specialist, and an Interventional Radiologist. Younger men who respond to PDE5 inhibitors are generally a suitable candidates for venous leak treatment involving no surgical intervention.
The two major approaches toward endovascular venous leak treatment are antegrade and retrograde. Specialists prefer the antegrade approach over the retrograde one for the sake of employing a more straight path to the peri-prostatic venous plexus.
The embolization of the veins is performed under fluoroscopic guidance and using FDA-approved drugs. The entire procedure is convoluted and only the best doctor in Pakistan could successfully perform this. Dr. Imtiaz Ahmad and his expertise in the field promise a successful nonsurgical treatment of venous leaks. Soon, the same procedure will find ways around to become less complex, but as of now, the best approach involving minimal damage is that of endovascular embolization.
