Dr. Turek's Blog

Best Medicine for Humans is Humanness

The Best Medicine for Humans is Humanness

Posted on by Paul Turek, MD

I have to say that I have led a truly privileged life in medicine. Throughout my long and storied education as a physician and caregiver, I have stood on the shoulders of many great mentors. In high school I had teachers who imbued biology and physics with wonder, awe, and hard-to-see logic. And then there […]

urologist second opinion

Men Who Became Fathers Thanks to a Second Opinion

Posted on by Paul Turek, MD

Second opinions are commonplace in law, business, building and construction, and car repair. However, the idea that “two heads are better than one” really began in medicine. Second opinions should be considered when the diagnosis or treatment is unclear or when a treatment hasn’t worked. If the answer to “what should we do now?” is […]

Vasectomy Post-Roe V Wade Era

Rediscovering Vasectomy in the Post-Roe V. Wade Era

Posted on by Paul Turek, MD

For the last 40 years, since Roe V. Wade, abortions have been a federally protected, constitutional right. But in June 2022 the Supreme Court ruled that there is nothing in the US Constitution that addresses abortion and handed the abortion issue to individual states to decide on its legality. And this has sent shock waves […]

Prostate Cancer Infertility Treatments LA & San Francisco

Prostate Cancer: A Rockier Road to Fatherhood?

Posted on by Paul Turek, MD

Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in American men, just behind lung cancer. While prostate cancer is a serious disease by any measure, most men diagnosed with it will survive it (98% overall 5-year survival). But in many cases, therapy for prostate cancer will be needed and surgical or radiation treatments […]

What’s the Skinny on Weight and Male Infertility

Posted on by Paul Turek, MD

Ok, so you’re a victim of the “quarantine-19,” the perfunctory weight gain associated with the (very real) stress of COVID. Maybe you pivoted to fast food and dropped your exercise routine. Or you began to relish those end-of-day ‘quarantini’ cocktails now that you’re not commuting anymore. Sure, you’ve been meaning to lose that pandemic weight, […]

Holy grail

When Should a Man Check His Fertility?

Posted on by Paul Turek, MD

Having practiced medicine for almost three decades now, I’ve learned quite a few things.  As one who always seeks to improve, the one thing that I would most like to change in our healthcare system is its “defensive” orientation. Medicine spends too much time reacting to health problems after they occur, like treating kidney stones […]

tailor made suit

How is a Vasectomy Reversal Like a Bespoke Suit?

Posted on by Paul Turek, MD

Maybe you wear suits, and maybe you don’t. If you do, maybe you wear them for work or just for pleasure. Either way, suits vary widely in quality, look and performance. One big difference between suits is whether they are “off the rack” or “bespoke,” meaning custom made just for you. How these two types […]

the male pill

Update on Male Contraception: Do Vasectomies Still Rule?

Posted on by Paul Turek, MD

I know you’re wondering: What’s up with the male pill? Exactly where are we with male contraceptives other than condoms or vasectomy? Well, it’s a good time to ask as it’s now very clear that the desire for alternatives to vasectomy is great and growing. Studies of couples around the globe found that 25-75% of […]