Name the only organ in the body that, when removed or missing, has been replaced with stone, glass, and rubber. Nope, it’s not the “glassy eye,” but that’s a good guess. A “heart of stone” is another thought, but it ends there. And “plastic emotions” really isn’t an organ, is it? And “morning wood” comes […]
Author: Paul Turek, MD
How Patients Have Made Me A Better Surgeon
I am the kind of physician and surgeon who likes to constantly improve. Sure, I deeply respect those things tried-and-true that work great and that get the job done. But I also have a knack for pushing the boundaries of my skill, knowledge, and medical discipline. In my humble opinion, garnered from cherished mentors over […]
The Ins and Outs of Sperm Freezing
Given the burgeoning popularity of egg and sperm freezing, you might think that this is new technology that quickly hit its stride. Although true with eggs, sperm freezing techniques developed even before the United States was born. It all started with Anton van Leeuwenhoek, the Dutch father of microbiology, who invented the compound microscope in […]
What’s Our Best Choice: IVF or Vasectomy Reversal?
I can’t think of two ways of conceiving a child that could be more different. Now, I’m not referring to sex positions that might be more likely to produce a boy or girl. No, this is not a discussion of missionary vs. doggie, or cowgirl vs. kneeling lotus, or quarter moon vs. full moon at […]
How Soon Will We Get Pregnant After Vasectomy Reversal?
They sat down nervously in my office after we shook hands, primed with pen and notepad in hand like school kids before an exam. He was newly hitched, having just sorted out the four C’s of the diamond ring thing. The visit was to discuss vasectomy reversal. We dove right in. I took a thorough […]
Is Your Smartphone Affecting Your Swimmers?
How much do you know about your cellphone? Did you know that the first cell phone call ever made was in 1973 on a 2.2 lb. Motorola? The first cell phone was released to the market in 1984 at a cost of $4,000, with a battery life of only 30 minutes. Currently, there are more […]
Can Traditional Chinese Medicine Cure Our Opioid Crisis?
The opioid epidemic is one of the most lethal and pressing health issues in America right now. Deaths from opioid overdose now surpass 80,000 annually. That’s more than the number of deaths due to colon and breast cancers combined! Sure, much of the problem rests in the streets where fentanyl runs rampant. But realize too […]
Fertility Begins with Good Soil
You may remember the movie Raising Arizona, the hyperactive Coen Brothers comedy in which Nicholas Cage and Holly Hunter, an unlikely and infertile couple (petty thief and policewoman), steal a baby to start their family. According to Cage, “Her insides were a rocky place where my seed could find no purchase.” This earthy analogy surfaced […]
Why I Am an Early Adopter of the No Scalpel Vasectomy
Although a “no scalpel” anything is vastly more attractive than the alternative, is it really all it’s cracked up to be with a vasectomy? Or is it a marketing ploy to get men in the door? After all, who needs another bait and switch play when it comes to the family jewels? I have to […]
Pacino (83) and DeNiro (79): How Are Men Becoming Fathers at Such Old Ages?
Two Hollywood giants just became fathers (again) in their 8th (Robert DeNiro) and 9th (Al Pacino) decades of life. Given the odds, that is quite an accomplishment. And my guess is that they are proud of these herculean feats, as this kind of success has less to do with wealth and power and more to […]