In this episode we discuss the Urolift procedure for the treatment of the urinary symptoms associated with an enlarged prostate (BPH). It is considered one of the so called MIST procedures -minimally invasive surgical therapies for BPH. So where does Urolift fit in amongst the various procedures we have discussed for the treatment of BPH.  How does it compare to other minimally invasive procedures like Rezum and iTind?  How does it stack up against more traditional surgical therapies such as TURP or specialized procedures like HOLEP or robotics simple prostatectomy? What are the risks and benefits? How durable is the procedure? And, probably most importantly, what kind of outcome or improvement can someone expect from the procedure? To answer these questions and many more we turned to a true expert.  Dr. Brian Mazzarella is a Board Certified Urologist practicing at Urology Austin. He completed his undergraduate degree at The University of Texas. He then attended The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and completed his urology training at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.  He is a leading surgeon in Urolift and has been recognized as a UroLift Center of Excellence.  Dr. Mazzarella also serves as the Director of Clinical Research for Urology Austin and serves as an Affiliate Faculty Member for the Dell Medical School. Dr. Mazzarella has traveled extensively, both nationally and internationally, to teach surgical techniques to his colleagues. And now, without further ado, I bring you our conversation with Dr Brian Mazzarella about the Urolift procedure for BPH

In this episode we discuss testicular cancer.  Being diagnosed with testicular cancer can be devastating for the nearly 10000 men found to have the disease yearly in the United States.  And unlike many other cancers, testicular cancer actually affects younger rather than older men, making the diagnosis all the more traumatizing.  But, in reality, testicular cancer is often considered a cancer “success story,” often resulting in a good outcome for men diagnosed early and treated appropriately.  But how do men know if they have testicular cancer?  How can they check to see if they have it?  If they are diagnosed with testicular cancer, what are the treatment options?  And, probably most importantly, what is the prognosis for men with testiuclar cancer?  In order to answer these questions and many more, we turned to a true expert.  Dr. Sia Daneshmand is Professor of Urology and serves as director of clinical research at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles. He is a leading authority in the management of complex testicular cancers and is one of the highest volume surgeons for this disease in the country.  He serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Urology as well as the AUA/SUO Guideline Committee on testicular cancer. He is a member of Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society and has been designated one of the “America’s Top Cancer Doctors” for the past 11 consecutive years.  He is an active member of the Society of Urologic Oncology, has presented over 400 abstracts at scientific meetings and has authored over 300 peer-reviewed articles, reviews, and book chapters. And now, without further ado, I bring you our conversation with Dr. Sia Daneshmand about testicular cancer.

In this episode we discuss obesity.  The US is currently experiencing an epidemic of obesity, with over 40% of Americans grappling with this problem.  But what is driving this obesity epidemic?  Is it our Western Diet?  Our sedentary lifestyles?  Can obesity even be prevented or is it simply a matter of genetics?  Can we overcome obesity?  What has actually been shown to work?  Diet? Exercise? Medications? And to what extent is obesity an expected outcome of the onslaught of food marketing vying for our attention every day from print, TV, and, of course, social media?  In order to answer these questions and many more we turned to a true expert.  Dr. Travis Masterson is the director of the Health, Ingestive Behavior, and Technology Lab (HIT Lab) at Penn State University where he is an Assistant Professor in the Nutrition department. Dr.  Masterson earned his Bachelors and Masters Degrees in exercise science from Brigham Young University and the completed his PhD in Nutritional Sciences at Penn State University.  He then served as a research fellow at Dartmouth University before returning to Penn State where his research focuses on environmental food cues and their effect on eating behavior.  Dr. Masterson has written over 40 scientific manuscripts. He is also a spokesperson for the Obesity Society.

In this episode we discuss robotic radical prostatectomy as a treatment option for prostate cancer. Over the last 20 years, robotic radical prostatectomy has become the gold standard for surgical management of prostate cancer.  While the concept of robotic surgery is exciting, it also leads to a lot of questions amongst men faced with a decision as to how to treat their prostate cancer.  How does the procedure actually work?  Is the surgery performed by a surgeon or by a robot?  What are the risks and side effects? Are all men good candidates for the procedure.  And, of course, how effectively does it cure prostate cancer?  To answer these questions we turned to Dr. Alexander Kutikov.  Dr. Kutikov is a Professor and Chief of Urology and Urologic Oncology at the Fox Chase Cancer Center. He is a board certified, academic urologic surgical oncologist who treats urologic tumors using minimally invasive (robotic / laparoscopic) and traditional surgical techniques. Dr. Kutikov received an MD from Harvard Medical School’s Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology Program in 2003. He then completed his Urologic residency training at the University of Pennsylvania in 2008 and finished a 2-year Society of Urologic Oncology fellowship at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, USA. He has co-authored more than 170 original manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals and has published chapters in leading urologic textbooks as well as holding leadership positions both in the American College of Surgeons and the American Urological Association.

In this episode we discuss erectile dysfunction in young men. Did you know that 1 in 4 men under the age of 40 experience erectile dysfunction.  Are the erectile problems faced by these men different from the typical erectile dysfunction experienced by middle aged and older men? Is erectile dysfunction in young men caused by different underlying problems?  Do these men need a different evaluation?  Should they be offered different treatment options? In order to answer these questions, we turned to Dr. Nannan Thirumavalavan.  Dr. Thirumavalavan is Chief of Male Reproductive and Sexual Health at University Hospitals as well as Assistant Professor of Urology at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.  Dr. Thirumavalavan earned his medical degree at Boston University School of Medicine and subsequently completed his residency in urology at Boston Medical Center. He then completed a National Institutes of Health-sponsored fellowship in Male Reproductive Medicine and Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Dr. Thirumavalavan has earned numerous awards in his career, including the AUA Men’s Health Traveling Fellowship in 2014, the NIH Travel award in 2018 for the American Society of Andrology, and the Society for Male Reproduction and Urology Traveling Scholarship in 2018. He teaches and mentors resident urologists and medical students. 

In this episode we discuss the Rezum procedure for the treatment of the urinary symptoms associated with an enlarged prostate (BPH).  Rezum is considered one of the so called MIST procedures -minimally invasive surgical therapies for BPH. Other such procedures include UroLift and Itind.  So how does Rezum compare to these other procedures as well as to more traditional surgical therapies such as TURP or laser procedures?  What are the risks and benefits?  How durable is the procedure?  And, probably most importantly, what kind of outcome or improvement can someone expect from the procedure?  In order to answer these questions, we turned to an expert in the Rezum procedure, Dr. Kevin McVary.  Dr. McVary is Professor of Urology and Director of the Center for Male Health at the Stitch School of Medicine at Loyola University Medical Center.  Dr McVary is the Chairman of the AUA BPH Clinical Guidelines Committee, the Co-Chair of the International Consultation on Male LUTS and is the Associate Editor of the Journal of Urology. He has also completed a 4 year stint on the American Board of Urology Exam Committee.  An experienced investigator in prostatic disorders and erectile dysfunction (ED), Dr. McVary is currently and has recently been principal investigator for more than 75 clinical trials. Dr. McVary’s research has generated more than 400 publications including  journal articles, books, book chapters, and abstracts.

In this episode we discuss penile enlargement.  A recent study revealed that 45% of men wish that their penises were larger. That desire is further confirmed by the multitudes of creams, medications, and procedures promising to increase the length and/or the girth of the penis.  But is it actually possible to increase the size of the penis? Do any of these treatments actually work?  And, if so, to what extent?  What are the risks of these penile enhancement treatments?  And are there trade offs involved?  To answer these questions, we are fortunate to be joined by Dr. Matthew Ziegelmann.  Dr. Ziegelmann is an Assistant Professor specializing in male sexual dysfunction and infertility (Andrology) in the Department of Urology at the Mayo Clinic. He obtained his medical degree from the University of Minnesota and then completed a residency in urology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. He then continued his sub-specialty training in male sexual dysfunction and infertility (Andrology) at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, IL. He is an active member of the American Urological Association, North Central Section, and Sexual Medicine Society of North America. He has published extensively in male sexual dysfunction and speaks nationally on topics related to male sexual dysfunction and other urologic conditions.

In this episode, we discuss prostate artery embolization for the treatment of urinary symptoms for men with an enlarged prostate, otherwise known as BPH. In recent episodes, we've discussed several procedures used to treat BPH. Now, what all these procedures have in common is that they all involve actually carving away part of the prostate that is obstructing the urinary stream. But what if I told you that a procedure exists to treat BPH that does not actually involve touching the prostate at all? Rather, this procedure called prostate artery embolization manipulates the blood vessels of the prostate. But how does this procedure actually improve urinary flow? Is it safe? What is involved and what is the recovery like? How effective is prostate artery embolization in the short term and for the long haul? And why should men consider the procedure as opposed to other procedures that actually involve cutting or shaving away the prostate.  In order to answer these questions and many more, we're lucky to be joined by Dr. Ari Isaacson. Dr. Isaacson is a board certified and licensed interventional radiologist who specializes in prostate artery embolization. After graduating medical school at USC, Dr. Isaacson completed his radiology and interventional radiology training at the University of North Carolina, where he stayed on as an Assistant and then Associate Professor of Radiology and was appointed Chief of the Division of vascular and interventional radiology. He currently practices at the prostate Centers of America where he also serves as the chair of quality and research. Dr. Isaacson has served as a principal investigator for multiple academic studies of prostate artery embolization and has recently published a textbook on the subject. 

In this episode we discuss anxiety. Over the past few years, we have all experienced our share of anxiety.  Stress can be a natural part of our lives as a response to events that occur in relation to our jobs, our families or our health.  But what happens when stress transforms from a nuisance to a debilitating condition that impacts all aspects of our lives?  How do we even know if we have a problem with anxiety?  Are there ways to restructure our lives and lifestyles to better handle stress?  When should we seek professional help and what does that help entail?  And what is the right balance between success and the stress that comes with it? To answer these questions and many more we are fortunate to be joined by Dr. Dimitrios Tsatiris.  Dr. Tsatris is a practicing board-certified psychiatrist specializing in the field of anxiety management. He is a Clinical Assistant Professor of psychiatry at Northeast Ohio Medical University.  He studies and writes about the interface of anxiety and achievement. His popular Psychology Today blog “Anxiety in High-Achievers” is viewed by more than 20,000 readers per month. He has given a TEDx talk on the subject titled “Why Success Won’t Make You Happy.” His writings have appeared in Psychology Today, PsychCentral, NAMI, ThriveGlobal, KevinMD and the White Coat Investor, among other publications. 

In this episode we discuss robotic simple prostatectomy for men with urinary symptoms due to an enlarged prostate (BPH).  In prior episodes, we have discussed several treatment options for BPH including medications and a variety of procedures.  But what if the medications don’t work and the prostate is just too big to qualify for minimally invasive surgical procedures?  Fortunately, robotic simple prostatectomy has emerged as a potential option for men in this situation.  But, how does this procedure work?  What are the risks?  How long is the recovery?  And how successful is it in relieving urinary symptoms of BPH for the long haul.  To help us answer these questions, we are fortunate to be joined by Dr. Daniel Eun.  Dr. Eun is a professor of urology and director of the Robotic Urologic Surgery Clinical Fellowship Program at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University.  He is also the chief of robotic surgery and the director of minimally invasive robotic urologic oncology and reconstructive surgery at Temple University Hospital.  Aside from performing over 1000 robotic surgical procedures, Dr Eun has also extensively published peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and video teaching guides and travels nationally and internationally as an invited lecturer to present research and to train robotic surgeons.