Dr. Turek's Blog

Through the Looking-Glass

Posted on by Paul Turek, MD

They called again and want to talk. Similar to a strict parent who gives you little clue as to where they stand, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) wants to have a conversation. I said: “Yes, absolutely.” The NIH is nation’s power player in healthcare research. In 2010 it spent $32 billion or about $100 […]

The History of Intercourse

Dawning of the Deed

Posted on by Paul Turek, MD

Here’s a good question: “How old is sex?” You know, the old birds and the bees-type hooking up. Recently, some fossil finds have given us great clues as to the age of intercourse, the conception of copulation, the dawning of the dirty deed. You might have trouble even imagining your parents or grandparents having sex, but […]

The Skinny on Holiday Cards

Posted on by Paul Turek, MD

“I want the holiday card with three of you on it” is what I tell my infertile patients at our first meeting in the office. Even if that visit occurs in February. In fact, this sums up much of what I think about infertility care: The solution to infertility is a path that may take […]

The Low Down on Being Knocked Up

Posted on by Paul Turek, MD

What drives pregnancy rates after vasectomy reversal? Lots of things. The judgment and skill of the surgeon are critical as not all surgeons are the same. Two operations are possible during reversal surgery (vasovasostomy or epididymovasostomy) and choosing the correct one for each side of each patient involves deft surgical judgment. After the type of […]

The Condom Cha Cha

Posted on by Paul Turek, MD

It is hilarious and it happened again recently. I had just finished his quick and painless no scalpel vasectomy and was about to hand him his signed “diploma” (really) for “meritorious performance and uncommon bravery” when he said it. Just as the others had said it, with that screechy, high-pitched, Vienna Boy’s Choir voice: “Nice […]

The Expert in Each of Us

Posted on by Paul Turek, MD

As President of the Northern California Urology Society, I held an interesting event in my office this week. I post it here because what I learned from it could apply to all of us in some small way. It was an event meant to highlight the idea of mentors in our lives. Titled “Inside the […]

Men as Fathers

Posted on by Paul Turek, MD

Honestly, I have a lot to be thankful for in November. A wedding anniversary, the birthdays of both daughters, and a restful holiday all in one month. Seeing the chocolate covered smiles on my young daughters as they inhaled birthday cake recently reminded me of something: My work involves turning men into fathers every day. […]

We are the Walrus

Posted on by Paul Turek, MD

Admittedly, he was an unusual patient. It was not only his generous size (2700 lb) but also his lack of clear speech in any discernable language that distinguished him from others I’ve treated. But, like most other men (80%), he had a great idea of what to do to conceive, but had the timing all […]

Bringing Africa Home

Posted on by Paul Turek, MD

During medical school, I spent several months at Hopital a la Dantec in urban Dakar, Senegal, West Africa. I saw things the unimaginable and the unbelievable. The ravages of polio and typhoid, amoebic abcesses, and tumors growing in places that I did not think possible. Without much of modern technology, medicine was a high art […]

Bringing It Home

Posted on by Paul Turek, MD

The workday was winding down. I made a cup of tea and pulled up the dashboard on my computer to review the progress of my patients after surgery. Everyone was progressing beautifully…but one. He reported that his pain had increased over the last 2 days. So I called him on his cell phone: “John, it’s […]