Vacuum pump, shockwaves bring tired penis to life

Never underestimate the power of the penile vacuum pump. Or the zing you get from a zap of a shockwave.

Research published Friday in Journal of the American Medical Association showed that the vacuum pump is an effective treatment for erectile dysfunction, especially when used in conjunction with once daily tadalafil and other treatments.

PDE5 inhibitors also facilitate dilation of the penis and can be prescribed along with certain antioxidants.

Even shockwaves help a limp penis come to life, according to the research. This is known as low-intensity extracorporeal shockwave therapy (Li-ESWT). It is non-invasive and painless device recently made available to men with erectile dysfunction.

One device called the Phoenix, formerly called the Rocket, is made by Launch medical. Various devices are for sale on the internet ranging in price from about $500 on up.

The devices do not required approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration because they are externally applied. Li-ESWT treatments also can be received from clinicians in an office setting with professional equipment.

Shockwaves promote new cell growth

The low-intensity shock waves increase the development of healthy new blood vessels. Those blood vessels will help make your penis erect upon arousal.

There is no pain during the procedure, which lasts about 30 minutes. The device is applied to the penis using lubrication. Sessions are at least weekly for at least three months.

“Based on these findings, patients with resistant ED may experience good outcomes after receiving combination therapy without the risk of increased AEs,” the authors concluded. “In patients undergoing radical prostatectomy, postoperative initiation of combination treatment may be associated with improved erectile function.

“The combination of PDE5 inhibitor with antioxidants, such as propionyl-L-carnitine or L-arginine, was associated with better outcomes compared with PDE5 inhibitors monotherapy.”

The darkness of impotence

Erectile dysfunction can be a dark cloud that grows over a man as he ages. It is a problem he may not want to talk about but that could seriously be impacting his romantic relationships.

For a lot of men, erectile dysfunction comes on after a prostatectomy, or removal of the prostate due to cancer or other reasons. “Recent data from a high-volume center demonstrated that, despite the advancements in surgical techniques and postoperative care, recovery from prostatectomy-induced erectile dysfunction has not substantially improved in the past decade, highlighting the need for novel treatment strategies,” the authors observed.

“Findings from the present study suggest that, compared with monotherapy, combination treatment significantly improved erectile function in men who underwent radical prostatectomy. In this scope, combination therapeutic approaches could be a good solution for this difficult-to-treat subgroup of patients.”

Stem cells saving sex lives

And you’ve heard about stem cells saving lives? They’re also saving sex lives.

“Other treatments, such as platelet-rich plasma injections and stem cell therapy, have been gaining clinical attention,” the authors explained. “PDE5 inhibitors in combination with Li-ESWT seem to provide beneficial outcomes for non-responders to PDE5 inhibitors.

“Accordingly, the superiority of platelet-rich plasma plus Li-ESWT over Li-ESWT monotherapy has been reported. Moreover, findings from an animal study have suggested that Li-ESWT combined with stem cell therapy is associated with improved neo-angiogenesis and decreased penile corpora autophagy, compared with either treatment alone.”

More research is needed to test the efficacy and safety of the new therapies, the authors said, calling for clinical trials in humans.

“All of these reports point toward these emerging therapies as potentially effective treatment modalities for the management of erectile dysfunction. Still, random clinical trials that compare different combination strategies are warranted to produce evidence for the optimal combination treatment.”

Adding the Li-ESWT or vacuum pump to pharmacological solutions improved outcomes. That much was certain.

“Antioxidants added to PDE5 inhibitors was associated with improved erectile dysfunction without increasing the AEs, and the addition of daily tadalafil, Li-ESWT, or a vacuum erectile device seemed to be effective, but research data are scarce,” the authors concluded.