Jonathan Clavell Jonathan Clavell
Dear Patients,
We are excited to announce that Dr. Jonathan Clavell will be starting a new Urology practice beginning on August 19, 2024. After 6 years in his current practice, Dr. Clavell will be transitioning to his own private practice, Vitality Urology Institute, to better serve your healthcare needs. Continue reading “Important Announcement: Dr. Clavell Opens Vitality Urology Institute”
On May 2024, Dr. Jonathan Clavell had one of the greatest honors a urologist can have: be invited to speak at the American Urology Association’s Annual Meeting’s Plenary Hall. He was invited to speak about complications related to penile prosthesis surgery.
Continue reading “Dr. Clavell Speaks at the AUA Annual Meeting 2024”
Welcome to Clavell Urology’s Penile Implants Testimonials page, curated to showcase the life-changing journeys of our patients under the expert care of board-certified urologist Dr. Jonathan Clavell. Dive into stories of renewed vitality and improved quality of life through successful penile implant surgeries, highlighting our commitment to personalized urological excellence.
Board-certified urologist, Dr. Jonathan Clavell recently published an article with ScienceDirect. He presents a new way to treat complex Peyronie’s disease (PD) in men. Instead of the traditional method, which involves circumcision and peeling back the skin, a potentially risky procedure when combined with penile implant placement, Dr. Clavell introduces a safer approach. He uses a technique that avoids peeling the skin away and demonstrates its effectiveness and safety in a video. The procedure involves making a specific incision, adjusting the curvature, placing a penile implant, and using a graft to cover any defects. This alternative method seems promising, possibly lowering the risk of certain complications and ensuring a satisfying outcome for patients with complex PD and erectile dysfunction.
Take a deeper look into his research, and discover more about the innovative approach to treating complex Peyronie’s Disease by checking out his article on Science Direct.
Board-certified urologist, Dr. Clavell had a significant role at the 24th Annual Sexual Medicine Society of North America (SMSNA) held on November in San Diego, California.
His involvement included:
– 3 invited lectures on “The Relationship of Erectile Dysfunction and Peyronie’s Disease”, “Sexual Medicine Online: Surgical Videos, Webinars and Social Media” and “Addressing Peyronie’s Disease at the time of Penile Prosthesis Placement”.
– 4 abstract/research presentations
– 1 podcast recording
– 2 video interviews
– Moderator at the first Spanish Session of the SMSNA Annual Meeting.
We congratulate Dr. Clavell for his continuous involvement and advancing the field of Sexual Medicine and Men’s Health!
Every day I see men who arrive at my clinic with concerns about a “curved penis”, “shorter penis” or “penile deformity”. Even more so, they come in already knowing they have Peyronie’s Disease. Some men diagnosed with Peyronie’s arrive seeking a second opinion after their original urologist told them there is nothing that can be done.
Depending on the specific situation, there are different options that we can offer to help restore function. Most importantly, it does NOT involve surgery!
Peyronie’s can be broken up into 2 phases: Active and Stable
The active phase is characterized by an actively changing deformity and/or pain. This means that if you feel like the curvature has worsened within the last 3 months, you may still be in the active phase.
Urology experts often try to wait until the curvature has stabilized before they offer any “invasive” procedures to correct it. This is because treating it too early can lead to recurrence. And as you can imagine, we would like to avoid performing more than 1 surgery.
There are several medications that experts have researched for the treatment of Peyronie’s. Most of these medications theoretically help reduce collagen (or scar tissue) buildup. However, there have been multiple flaws in these studies, and none have been very promising.
However, there was a recent study published in 2022 that suggested using a daily dose of Tadalafil (also known as Cialis) for Peyronie’s during the active phase. This study suggested that this medication can help prevent the curvature from getting worse. Other than Tadalafil, there are no known oral or topical medications proven to help improve penile curvature.
The penis has an elastic sheath, called the tunica albuginea, that stretches with an erection. Peyronie’s is a condition in which collagen, or scar tissue, forms on the tunica albuginea that surrounds the erectile bodies of the penis. This scar tissue does not allow the penis to stretch. It limits the elasticity of the penis. We call that scar tissue a Peyronie’s plaque. Therefore, the goal of any treatment is to attempt to either break the plaque, stretch the plaque or try to “even things out” by restricting the side that is not causing the curvature.
Currently, there is only one medication that is FDA-approved for the treatment of Peyronie’s plaque. This medication is known as Xiaflex or Collagenase Clostridium Hystoliticum. This medication utilizes an enzyme, collagenase, that breaks down collagen. Xiaflex breaks down the Peyronie’s plaque to allow the penis’ elastic sheath to expand. However, this requires “modeling” for it to work and that’s where traction therapy comes in. Your doctor will give you instructions on how to stretch and model your penis at home to maximize your results. Research has shown that Xiaflex can help improve curvature by 30%. When combined with RestoreX traction therapy, it can sometimes improve curvatures by 50%. This means that if you have a curvature that is 60 degrees, you may end up with close to a 30-degree curvature.
Xiaflex is administered by your urologist or provider. The Xiaflex protocol involves a total of 8 injections that are administered in 4 separate cycles. Each cycle consists of 2 injections that are administered 2 to 3 days apart. In our office, we will first numb the area and then give you the injection. The entire process takes less than 5 minutes. After the injection, we will place a small dressing and you will be able to go back home or to work. If you are interested in Xiaflex therapy, be sure to ask me if this treatment is right for you.
These are the criteria to be a candidate for Xiaflex injections:
Some insurances require the curvature to be in the “stable phase” for the treatment to be approved. Moreover, Xiaflex is not indicated for the treatment of hourglass deformity. The limiting factor for Xiaflex is cost. This is an expensive medication. However, most insurance carriers cover Xiaflex injections. Your provider needs to obtain authorization from your insurance before the treatment. After your consultation and evaluation, we will submit all the information to your insurance. Once we obtain the authorization and receive the injection vials, we will start the therapy.
Peyronie’s disease does not always require surgery. Remember that we only treat Peyronie’s if it is bothersome for you and/or your partner. If you have strong erections and are not bothered, you do not require treatment. However, if you are bothered, there are several treatment options available for you. Fortunately, there are ways to help improve Peyronie’s curvature that do not involve surgery. I am an expert in the management of Peyronie’s disease and will be happy to help you reach your goals. Call us! We can help you!
This article was authored by Dr. Jonathan Clavell. Dr. Clavell is a board-certified urologist who specializes in men’s health including erectile dysfunction, low testosterone, Peyronie’s Disease and BPH.
In October 2023, Dr. Clavell performed his 1,000th penile implant surgery Dr. Clavell is one of the highest volume surgeons in penile implant surgery in the United States and the world. Dr. Clavell strives to help restore a man’s erection and provide men with an excellent outcome. Congratulations Dr. Clavell for this amazing achievement!
Board-certified urologist, Dr. Jonathan Clavell, was an invited speaker for the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Urology Association SouthCentral Section. He was invited to share his expertise regarding Management of Complications Related to Peyronie’s Disease Treatments. He also had the opportunity to share his new technique that helps restore length for men with penile shortening secondary to Peyronie’s at the time of penile implant surgery. Schedule a Peyronie’s Disease treatment appointment at our urology clinic in Houston, TX by filling out our secure online form.
Tune in to this episode of BackTable Urology, where Dr. Jose Silva sits down with Dr. Jonathan Clavell, a renowned men’s health specialist, to discuss the latest workup and treatment options available for Peyronie’s disease. Don’t miss out on this insightful conversation that could help you or someone you know.
Erectile dysfunction is a term no man wishes to ever use. We do not like talking about it. Even more, we wish to never experience it.
However…. When a man experiences erectile dysfunction it affects him both physically and emotionally.
The penis is linked to your heart. When aroused, Your heart delivers blood to your penis through the arteries. Your penis then has “the responsibility” of keeping that blood trapped inside the penis in order to keep an erection. If the penis is unable to bring blood in, or keep the blood trapped, the penis will experience erectile dysfunction.
The arteries going to the penis are VERY SMALL, probably smaller than the straw used to stir your morning coffee. When a man has any medical condition that can the decrease blood flow delivery from the heard and the heart is unable to deliver blood to the penis, we call it arterial insufficiency.
Now there is another problem that can happen. The penis also needs to keep the blood TRAPPED inside the penis. Imagine your penis being a bucket of water that needs to stay full to work. If the bucket has multiple tiny little holes, the water will not be able to stay inside the bucket. In the penis, we call that “venous leakage”. Venous leakage can happen in both older men and younger men. I have even seen men who were born with this problem.
ED can crush a man’s confidence, self-worth and lead to depression. A man with erectile dysfunction may pull himself away from his partner and try to avoid intimacy altogether because he may fear failure in bed. Those who are single often avoid relationships altogether. Therefore, if you ask me, the emotional impact of ED weighs heavier than the physical impact. Erectile dysfunction affects relationships, self-esteem, and even work productivity (yes! There is research on this topic!).
My goal, as a urologist and men’s sexual health expert, is to help men learn about what is going on and how to overcome it. There are MULTIPLE treatment options and NO MAN should be suffering from ED without finding a solution. There are pills, injections, vacuum erection devices, psychotherapy, physical therapy and even a penile implant. We first need to find out what is the cause and then we can find a solution.
Erectile dysfunction is hard. The journey to overcome it is even harder. This year I was a part of a documentary series that was created to show EVERYONE what men go through and how we can help men overcome it. This series will show Men with erectile dysfunction that they are not alone. It will remind you that there are others who have gone through exactly what you are going through now and that there is a solution. The Hard Series is meant to show us the truth. It is meant to show us that ED is real, that ED is extremely common. It shows us that as a society, we need to be more open about these topics. Erectile dysfunction is very common, and it is about time that we start talking about it.
I invite you to watch this episode in which you will see how erectile dysfunction impacted the relationship of a beautiful couple and how a simple procedure helped a man feel worthy of his relationship again. Enjoy!
Remember…. My goal is to help bring life to your years.
Remember…. We are #gatekeepersofmen.
This article was authored by Dr. Jonathan Clavell. Dr. Clavell is a board-certified urologist who specializes in men’s health including erectile dysfunction, low testosterone, Peyronie’s Disease and BPH.