Better Man Clinics Podcast

In this episode, we discuss prostate cancer screening.  Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men and yet screening for prostate cancer is considered quite controversial. Many sources state that prostate cancer is slow growing and that, as a result, prostate cancer screening is just not warranted. At the same time, prostate cancer takes the lives of about 34,000 American men every year. So what should guys do? Who should get screened? What does that even entail? Are there options as to how to get screened? Are there risks involved? To help us sort through these questions we turn to a true expert, Dr. Ganesh Palapattu is professor and chairman of the Department of Urology at the University of Michigan. Dr. Palapattu completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Texas at Austin and earned his medical degree from the Baylor College of Medicine. He underwent his residency training in urology at UCLA and then completed a fellowship in urologic oncology at Johns Hopkins.  After completing his training Dr. Palapattu held a faculty appointment at the University of Rochester School of Medicine, and then served as the chief of urologic oncology at the Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas. In 2012, Dr. Palapattu was appointed associate professor and chief of urologic oncology at the University of Michigan, where he later became chair of the urology department. 

In this episode, we discuss sleep disorders. Sleep problems present a huge and debilitating problem for men.  Did you know that over 70 million Americans suffer from some sort of sleep disorder?  But what causes sleep issues?  How can we prevent them? Are any of the multitudes of supplements and home remedies for sleep issues even worth trying?  And when should guys consider seeking help from a doctor?  It turns out that the answer depends on many factors, including what type of sleep disorder is actually causing the issues. To help us sort through these questions, we turned to an expert.  Dr Sam Kashani is a sleep specialist from UCLA.  After completing his residence training at the Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, Dr Kashani perused a fellowship in sleep medicine at UCLA, where he is now a clinic instructor.  Dr Kashani also serves on the board of directors of the California Sleep Society and is a frequent lecturer on sleep issues. 

In this episode, we discuss prostate cancer prevention.  Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men and the second most lethal cancer in men in the United States.  But is there a way to prevent it?  Can lifestyle factors like diet, exercise, sexual activity, and even stress impact the development and growth of prostate cancer?  In order to answer those questions, we spoke to Dr Stephen Freedland, Professor of Surgery and Urology at the Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.  At Cedars Sinai, Dr Freedland serves as the Warschaw Robertson Law Families Chair in Prostate Cancer, the Director of the Center for Integrated Research in Cancer and Lifestyle and Co-Director of the Cancer Genetics and Prevention Program. Dr.  Freedland has published over 400 medical studies and sits on the editorial boards of multiple medical journals.  He currently serves as editor-in-chief of the medical journal Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases .  Dr. Freedland completed his undergraduate studies at UCLA and received his medical degree from UC Davis.  He then completed his Urology residency training at UCLA and a fellowship in urologic oncology at Johns Hopkins.  Before joining Cedars-Sinai, Dr Freedland served as an Associate Professor of Urology at Duke University .

In this episode, we discuss a type of laser surgery called HOLEP as an option for men with urinary symptoms caused by an enlarged prostate – a condition called BPH that we discussed in a previous episode.  Historically, when men either no longer benefited from prostate medication or could not tolerate the side effects of these medications, the next step would be a TURP surgery, otherwise known as the “Roto-Rooter”.  Recently, however, new surgical options have been developed which are believed to provide results that are similar to or better than TURP and that are potentially safer and have less side effects.  One of these newer procedures is a laser surgery called HOLEP which stands for holmium enucleation of the prostate.  Joining us to help us better understand the risks and benefits of HOLEP is Dr Amy Krambeck. Dr Krambeck is a Professor of Urology at Northwestern Medical in Chicago, Illinois.  Her Urology residency was completed at the Mayo Clinic in 2008 and she subsequently completed an Endourology fellowship at the Methodist Institute for Kidney Stone Research in Indianapolis, Indiana.  Dr Krambeck worked as an endourologist at the Mayo Clinic from 2009-2016 at which time she joined the staff at Indiana University and ran the benign urologic diseases division until 2020.  Dr Krambeck specializes in the surgical and medical management of stone disease and BPH and has performed approximately 3000 HOLEP procedures.  Who better to help us understand this procedure.  And now, without further ado, I bring you our conversation with Dr Amy Krambeck about HOLEP as a surgical option for BPH.

In this episode, we discuss sinus headaches. We have all heard of sinus infections but what are the sinuses and why do they cause headaches? What can we do to prevent sinus headaches and, once we get them, what simple home remedies can help treat them?  When is it time to see a doctor and what should you expect in terms of evaluation and treatment? And finally, when does surgery become necessary and what are the surgical options for sinus conditions?  To help us answer these questions, we are fortunate to be joined by Dr Tricia Kho, a licensed and board certified otolaryngologist with extensive experience in treating sinus conditions.  Dr Kho graduated from Johns Hopkins University and completed medical school at the University of Michigan.  She underwent a research fellowship in genetic otology and then completed her otolaryngology training at UCLA.  She has been in private practice in Southern California since 2006

In this episode, we discuss knee pain, a problem that most men will experience at some point in their lives.  Most of the time, the problem can be solved by simply taking a pain reliever.  But what if the pain keeps coming back?  How can you prevent it from getting worse?  What noninvasive and minimally invasive treatment options are available? And when is it time to start considering surgery? We presented these questions to orthopedic surgeon, Dr Erik Zeegen.  Dr Zeegen attended UCLA and UC Berkeley as an undergraduate.  He then graduated from UCLA Medical School and completed his residency in orthopedic surgery at UCLA.  After residency, Dr Zeegen completed an Orthopedic Surgical Oncology fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital and an Adult Reconstructive Surgery fellowship at New England Baptist Hospital.  After his training, Dr Zeegen returned to Los Angeles where he served as the Associate Medical Director of the Valley Hip and Knee Institute until recently when he was named the Chief of Joint Replacement Surgery at UCLA.

In this episode, we discuss sex, a topic of great importance to most if not all men.  Specifically, we will be discussing how men can evaluate the health of their sexual relationships, identify common problems, and work through those issues both individually, and with their partners.   Who better to help us understand sexual relationships than Kimberly Resnick Anderson.  Kimberly is both a licensed clinical social worker and a certified sex therapist.  Over the last 25 years, she has helped countless men and their partners achieve more satisfying sexual relationships.

In this episode, we discuss the relationship between diet and energy. According to a survey performed last year, 60% of American adults feel more tired now than they have ever felt.  While a lot of this fatigue is rightfully attributed to lack of sleep, stress, and our generally hectic lifestyles, what is often ignored is the significant impact that our diet has on our energy levels.  As we learn in this episode, what we eat has a tremendous impact on how we feel, particularly when it comes to our energy levels.  Helping us to understand this relationship is nutritionist Christina Stapke.  Christina is a board certified and licensed integrative and functional dietician.  One of her areas of expertise is actually helping her clients evaluate and adjust their diets to improve and maintain their energy levels.

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In today's episode, we discuss hernias, a common problem facing men.  Nearly 1 million hernia surgeries are performed in the United States each year.  Joining us today to help us better understand the causes and management of hernias is Dr Shirin Towfigh, one of the few surgeons in the United States whose practice is 100% dedicated to the treatment of hernias.  Dr.Towfigh received her Bachelor’s degree from UCLA and her Medical Doctorate degree from UC San Diego. She completed her surgical training and research at UCLA. She is Board Certified in General Surgery by the American Board of Surgery. She is an award-winning educator, with experience training and mentoring thousands of medical students, residents, and fellows at the USC Keck School of Medicine, LA County + USC Hospital, the Norris Cancer Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

In today's episode, we discuss wrinkles, a topic not too many men talk about but one that a lot of men think about.  How do we know this? A recent study was conducted about the use of Botox, one of the most common treatments for wrinkles.  That study found that in 2019, men underwent nearly half a million botox injections in the US alone  That was nearly a 400% increase as compared to the year 2000.  So while men may not be openly talking about their wrinkles, they certainly appear to be thinking about them.  Joining us today to help us better understand the causes and management of wrinkles is Dr Jasmine Yun,  Dr. Yun is a board-certified and licensed dermatologist who earned her undergraduate degree from UCLA. She then received a joint MD/MBA from the UCLA School of Medicine and the Anderson School of Management at UCLA. She proceeded to complete her dermatology resident at MLK-Harbor and Harbor-UCLA and then completed a dermatopathology fellowship at the Ackerman Academy of Dermatopathology in New York. Dr. Yun serves as a Clinical Associate Professor of Dermatology at USC Keck School of Medicine where she has devoted much time educating resident physicians and also has spent time participating in medical missions in developing countries.  She also has a private dermatology practice in Los Angeles.

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