Intracavernosal injections are generally reserved for patients who cannot achieve results with oral medications or simply cannot take oral medication. The options are either Caverject, which is a commercially available preparation, or combination agents such as Trimix or PAP, which are compounded by a pharmacist. Compounding agents are generally available at a lower cost and allow for easy variation of dose.
Intracavernosal injections do require some planning as the compounding agents need to be stored in a freezer. Once they are defrosted, Dr Campbell will determine the correct dosage based on the patient’s medical history and their response to a trial injection.
A demonstration will be performed and patients will receive written instructions on how and where to inject themselves before leaving Dr Campbell’s Gold Coast clinic. Injections are usually administered in the side of the shaft of the penis. The area underneath the surface of the penis is avoided because there is a risk of hitting the urethra and the dorsal aspect, which is where the neurovascular structures are positioned. For a lot of patients, intracavernosal injections create a fairly predictable erection that’s suitable for penetration and lasts between 15 and 30 minutes.
