Démarche diagnostique et prise en charge du patient souffrant de dysfonction érectile, actualisation et consignes pratiques

Over the past ten years, the care available to patients suffering from erectile dysfunction (ED) has improved. Our management of such patients has been simplified, whilst at the same time starting to include some elements previously neglected, such as the role of the partner or emotional upheavals that might represent complications for this type of pathology. We are proposing a simple and easy-to-use approach for practitioners. How to conduct the interview with a patient suffering from ED; how to focus the interview on objective criteria, and know which clinical and para-clinical examinations to conduct. Are there any first-line investigations that should be avoided? Should an erection-enhancing treatment be prescribed as first-line therapy? If so, for which type of patient? All these questions receive a summarised response in our approach. The clinical pathway enabling the patient's problem to be heard and recognized as a sexual symptom, and effectively treated, is better understood today and clearly defined. Each practitioner now has at his or her disposal a first-line system to help patients succeed in their quest for satisfaction, by analysing each patient's difficulties, taking account of the different parameters and implementing a therapeutic framework for them. Structuring care within the medical network and accompanying the patient in the progressive recovery of his sexual functions, form the basis of the management system, ensuring success and long-term benefits.