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Initially, Douglas Salisbury’s peripheral artery disease, or PAD, made his sex life difficult in small ways. “Cramps in my calves during sex were the most obvious related problem,” said the 60-year-old retired chemical addiction counselor.
Salisbury dealt with cramps by drinking extra water before sex. He also tried to apply ancient magnesium oil to the skin of his calves after hearing that the mineral could also relieve cramps.
He says it helped a little, but nothing helped Salisbury more than just stand up or hang his legs by the side of the bed. “Gravity helps,” he says.
But over time, the PAD began to create major problems for Salisbury in the bedroom.
Salisbury had a harder time getting an erection. “At first, it didn’t seem like a common problem,” he said. But he soon realized that it took longer than usual to get aroused.
Salisbury’s doctor told him that this was probably a side effect of his medicine. But stopping some cardiovascular drugs is not always an option.
So Salisbury tried to slow down with his partner and focus on foreplay. Using techniques other than sexual intercourse worked for his partner, but did not help him reach orgasm or improve his sexual desire. “At this point, it’s about coming to terms with being satisfied by satisfying others in intimate ways other than sex,” Salisbury said.
Then, in 2021, Salisbury had an axilobifemoral bypass, as all other efforts to restore the flow to his legs failed. This type of bypass creates a new path for blood flow with the help of an artificial graft. For Salisbury, it was a graft that connected his shoulder to the groin area and then split on both legs.
Although the bypass helped the blood flow to his legs, it complicated things in the bedroom. “There is less influx to some of my other organs, including my groin,” he said. Frequent erectile dysfunction, which makes it difficult to get or maintain an erection, has become a new reality in Salisbury.
PAD occurs when your arteries become too narrow, which can lead to poor blood flow to the penis or vagina. This complicates sexual arousal, says Kevin Herman, MD, an interventional radiologist at American Endovascular & Amputation Prevention in West Orange, New Jersey.
Erectile dysfunction or ED is associated with PAD and may worsen as PAD progresses. Some medications for PAD and related conditions can also cause sexual problems.
PAD control in the bedroom
You can find ways to stay sexually fulfilled and intimate with your partner.
First, if you have low sexual desire, see your doctor. “Assessing and identifying compromised pelvic flow is an important part of the study,” said Brian Fisher, MD, chief medical officer at HCA Healthcare in Memphis, Tennessee. A specialist can help you determine the causes and recommend treatment strategies that may be right for you.
To improve things in the bedroom, some couples use strategies and devices such as masturbation and sex toys instead of intercourse.
If you are a woman with PAD and have poor blood flow or vaginal dryness, try a water-soluble lubricant. Ask your doctor if hormone replacement therapy can help.
Exercise and weight loss can also help improve your sex life. “A healthy lifestyle is often the first step to achieving sexual satisfaction in men and women,” says Fisher.
Possible surgical option
Salisbury recently heard of a potential, more lasting solution.
Some doctors try to improve sexual function by using procedures to revascularize the arteries that supply blood to the penis. Revascularization restores blood flow to a blocked vessel by opening it or bypassing it with a balloon or stent.
“I learned that it is possible for some highly qualified doctors to restore the flow in small vessels, such as in the groin. This is my next move, “he said.
It took some searching, but Salisbury found an interventional cardiologist who said it could be done. He plans to undergo revascularization of a narrowed vessel in his groin during a procedure to clear larger arteries in his abdomen and legs.
Robert R. Ataran, MD, director of the Yale Hospital’s Interventional Cardiology Fellowship Program in Connecticut, says some studies have tested whether opening blocked arteries can help with sexual function, but data are mixed and revascularization in fact, it has not been caught, at least in the United States
And it’s not for everyone. “Due to many factors, less than 10% of men with vascular ED are candidates for penile revascularization,” says Herman. For those who are optimal candidates, he says, the success rate varies from 50% to 67%.
“Not all forensic experts know how to do it,” said Kim McNicles, founder of The Way To My Heart, an organization that offers advocacy and support to people with PAD. “It is more likely that a highly qualified endovascular specialist who treats arterial blockages in the vessels of the abdomen has the skills and desire to do so.”
Salisbury hopes that the problems with his bedroom will improve after the procedure.
Meanwhile, he enjoys hobbies that excite him. “I love woodworking. I can immerse myself in it and it requires all my attention to create great designs perfectly, ”he says.
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