Men’s health care can be a uniquely sensitive topic, especially with conditions like sexual dysfunction and prostate disease. Patients have a compassionate and comprehensive resource available to them at the SLUCare Men’s Health Center in Richmond Heights, says SLUCare urologist Dr. Clay McDonough. The office provides personalized treatment for a variety of men’s health issues in a safe and comfortable environment, and it is always innovating to serve patients better, he notes.
One way the practice is reaching more patients is through a new online appointment scheduling system available at slucare.edu, McDonough says. “The idea is for patients to visit the website, answer screening questions and find out if they need to be seen without unnecessary stress and embarrassment,” he explains. “They don’t have to seek a referral or discuss extremely personal health issues over the phone, and they can arrange for an appointment quickly and easily. Men often find sexual health problems difficult to talk about; this system removes the discomfort and ultimately should result in more people seeking needed care.”
McDonough practices with endocrinologist Dr. Sandeep Dhindsa, and the physicians treat a range of men’s conditions, including erectile dysfunction, low testosterone, prostate enlargement and an erectile curvature problem known as Peyronie’s disease. “Men are becoming more aware of Peyronie’s and realizing that it is not something they have to live with,” McDonough says. “It shouldn’t be dismissed as an issue that just happens with age. There are effective treatments to solve the problem and return patients to a better quality of life.” Along with surgical options, solutions include Xiaflex, an injectable drug that is administered for up to six months and has a nearly 98% success rate.
McDonough notes that male health problems often go undetected because men usually don’t follow the same kind of regular care timeline that women do. Female patients tend to have frequent OB/GYN and maternity visits that can uncover underlying health issues, but men often go years without seeing a doctor, so problems like erectile dysfunction can become advanced. For that reason, McDonough says, it’s important to establish a trusting relationship with a provider who can identify all of the factors behind sexual dysfunction.
Conditions like Peyronie’s disease and hormonal imbalances can interfere significantly with intimate relationships, another key reason to seek care, McDonough says. “Erectile dysfunction and curvature can affect men’s wellness in many ways,” he says. “When your well-being suffers, your overall quality of life does, too. We enjoy our work because it allows us to solve frustrating problems for patients in need of help. It’s very rewarding when we can give men back something that has been missing from their lives.”
The SLUCare Men’s Health Center, located in University Tower in Richmond Heights, helps men achieve a better quality of life through treatment of issues like sexual dysfunction and prostate enlargement. Pictured on the cover: SLUCare urologist Dr. Clay MCDonough with a patient. For more information, search ‘men’s health’ at slucare.edu or call 314.977.4440.
Cover design by Julie Streiler
Cover photo courtesy of SLUCare Physician Group
Pictured at top: Dr. Clay McDonough and Dr. Sandeep Dhindsa discuss patient care.
