The medical use of platelet-rich plasma, or PRP, has grown in recent years, particularly in the sports world, where this cutting-edge treatment has been shown to bolster and speed up healing. At the office of Hayle Aldren, MD, in Phoenix, Dr. Aldren offers PRP injections for a variety of men’s health concerns, including stronger erections. Besides sports injuries and arthritis, PRP therapy can treat hair loss, skin and facial damage, and improve sexual function for many patients. To learn more, call the office to schedule your consultation today.
PRP Treatments and the P Shot Q & A
- What is PRP therapy?
- What is PRP therapy used for?
- What can I expect during PRP treatment?
- When will I see results from PRP injections?
What is PRP therapy?
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a form of regenerative medicine, an exciting new field in all branches of medicine and surgery. PRP is not a drug. It is a natural solution created from your own blood. By spinning down a fresh blood sample, Dr. Aldren can separate the blood into several components to get a high concentration of platelets, which contain some of the largest amounts of natural healing factors in your body for tissue repair and stem cell activation.
Dr. Aldren has used PRP for more than 20 years to treat a variety of medical conditions that need extra help to jump-start and accelerate your body’s natural healing process and to slow down the effects of the aging process.
What is PRP therapy used for?
When treating men’s sexual health, Dr. Aldren most commonly uses PRP in 3 ways: the P-Shot, PRP for Peyronie’s disease, and PRP to strengthen overstretched, scarred or weakened areas. Stretching and scarring of critical structures in the penis is a major cause of venous leak ED, where erection fades and does not last long enough.
In general men’s health, Dr. Aldren also uses PRP injections to treat various types of hair loss. PRP is also the basis for preventive treatment of a man’s facial features to maintain a more masculine and youthful look. There is no downtime, and if there is any visible sign of treatment at all, it usually looks as if a dermatologist had treated some minor skin or scalp condition, or that you had a sunburn. Occasional bruising is possible if you bleed or bruise easily. PRP can also be used for joints, tendons, muscles, and ligaments.
PRP can also be used to enhance the regenerative effects of micro-needling and derma-rolling for skin and hair, as an addition or alternative to injections.
The P-Shot
Also known as the Priapus Shot, the P-Shot is a PRP injection into the penis. Surprisingly most men barely feel it. A powerful anesthetic cream is used to thoroughly numb the area first. Current studies suggest that the P-Shot can lead to larger, firmer erections, increased desire, and improved sexual sensitivity. In some cases, the effects may last as long as 12-18 months.
The PRP in the P-Shot is a special pre-activated kind of PRP called a platelet-rich fibrin matrix (PRFM). This method helps the injection solution penetrate and stay within the blood-carrying erectile spaces throughout the penis and its hydraulic reservoirs. This stimulates ongoing penile rehabilitation from the inside out. Other solutions may sometimes be added to the mix on an individual basis.
The P-Shot is one of the few treatments that directly address the root cause of ED. But the benefits of the P-Shot are not just for men with ED. The same groups of men who can benefit from Shock Wave-Sound Wave Therapy are also good candidates for the P-Shot. If you do not have the opportunity to do a full series of sexual health treatments, the P-Shot might be your best shot.
The P Shot along with Shock Wave-Sound Wave Therapy is a popular combination with highly synergistic effects. An ideal treatment session stack might be to first do Shock Wave-Sound Wave Therapy, then a P-Shot, and then exercise with the vacuum pump (penis pump) and electronic muscle stimulator. But the P-shots are only done once or twice during a Shock Wave-Sound Wave Therapy series if you decide to have this more advanced form of treatment.
Peyronie’s disease
Peyronie’s disease is a rare condition that causes dense scar tissue to form under the skin of your penis. This can lead to painful erections and even a curvature of the penis. Injections of PRP can help reduce the scar tissue buildup and restore the shape of your penis. In more severe cases, PRP is usually combined with other treatments, including Shock Wave-Sound Wave Therapy.
What can I expect during PRP treatment?
Treatments for Peyronie’s disease, hair loss, the P-Shot, and other PRP procedures are all relatively simple outpatient procedures that don’t require much preparation on your part. A simple CBC blood count is needed if you have not had a medical checkup for 6 months or more. After taking a sample of your blood, Dr. Aldren processes the blood to separate the platelet-rich plasma and prepare the solution.
After loading this solution into a syringe, Dr. Aldren performs one or more injections into the skin of the treatment area through a tiny needle. You might receive some local anesthetic if you prefer. You will receive instructions on what to do and not do afterward to get the most out of your treatment. Depending on your specific symptoms and condition, Dr. Aldren might recommend additional PRP treatments over several weeks or months.
When will I see results from PRP injections?
Many patients report seeing and feeling fairly rapid results from the P-Shot, with continued and gradually increasing improvement over the following weeks and months. Naturally, the more advanced your condition, the more patience it takes to start seeing improvement.
PRP is like planting a seed that must sprout and grow. The healing process is not an overnight affair and takes time to run its course once set in motion.
If you’re receiving PRP injections for Peyronie’s disease, you should usually start noticing some results between 8-12 weeks after the initial treatment. Persistence is called for when treating this condition. Other kinds of treatment are also needed for more optimum treatment of Peyronie’s disease.
Are you suffering from Peyronie’s disease or having troubles with your erection? Call the office of Hayle Aldren, MD, in Phoenix to schedule your consultation today to learn more about PRP or the P-Shot.