Specialist Spotlight: Aram Loeb, MD

UH Primary Care Instiute News | Summer 2019

Aram Loeb, MD

Aram Loeb, MD, is a physician who takes men beyond the blue pill.

As a specialist in urology, he treats men who have advanced erectile dysfunction, those for whom Viagra (or Cialis, which is not blue) are not good or effective options.

Dr. Loeb got his medical degree from Wright State University, followed by residency in urology, at Wayne State University. He then did a fellowship in Sexual Medicine at the University of South Florida, with an emphasis on male sexual dysfunction, prosthetic surgery, Peyronie’s disease and male infertility.

He says one of the best aspects of his specialty is offering a treatment for erectile dysfunction (ED) that is known for creating the highest satisfaction among therapies.

“One of the greatest misconceptions among primary care physicians is in the area of advanced management of ED, in terms of all options that are out there,” says Dr. Loeb. “PCPs will prescribe Viagra and Cialis, but beyond that, it is best to refer a patient to a urologist who specializes in this.”

The gold standard treatment, Dr. Loeb says, is a penile implant. While that is not a new procedure, it is vastly different from what it used to be.

“People think it’s crazy aggressive surgery, but it isn’t – it is outpatient surgery,” he says. “It takes less than an hour, you go home the same day and the recovery is fairly short. 

“The treatment restores function to bring back intimacy. Put in well and healed well it provides high patient and partner satisfaction.”

The penile implant – which is accompanied by a pump in the scrotum that allows for inflation – has an extremely low risk of infection (1 to 2 percent) and complications.  Technological advances have made newer implants more durable. 

Most men have the same implant for at least 10 years, says Dr. Loeb. There is no age limit for having this procedure performed.

But what causes erectile dysfunction in the first place? It can be due to a side effect of cancer treatment, or as a result of diabetes, hypertension and other medical conditions. ED is also considered the “canary in the coal mine,” as it often is the first sign of cardiac disease.

Men’s unwillingness to see physicians, for physicals or even a potential medical condition, is well-known. Sometimes, the first physician a man will see is a urologist, to deal with ED, often at the urging of an intimate partner.

That is why urologists, especially at UH, determine if each patient has a primary care physician at UH. If not, the urology staff can help find one and make an appointment.

Dr. Loeb performs surgery at UH Cleveland Medical Center and UH Parma Medical Center. He sees patients on the East side at the Urology Institute office in Lyndhurst, as well as at UH Parma Medical Center. To make a referral, call 440-887-9139.