Low Intensity Linear Focused Shockwave Therapy: a New Treatment to Improve the Quality of Life of Vascular Erectile Dysfunction Patients
==inizio abstract==
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common medical disorder that primarily affects men older than 40 years of age. Unsurprisingly, it was reported that potent men have a better quality of life than impotent men.
This study evaluated how the therapy by a new device (‘RENOVA’, Initia Ltd) using low-intensity linear focused shockwave affects the quality of life of patients who suffer from vascular origin ED.
This study included 25 patients who have been suffering from Vasculogenic ED and their International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-6) was between 9 and 25.
The treatment consisted of 4 weekly identical sessions. Erectile function was evaluated by means of IIEF-6, Sexual Encounter Profile (SEP), Global Assessment Questions (GAQ) and Erection Hardness Score (EHS), at baseline and at 1, 3 and 6 months post treatment.
At the most recent follow-up of each patient, 40% of the PDE5i non-responders and 78% of the responders achieved positive outcomes at all 4 evaluation questionnaires. 42.8% of the responders stopped using PDE5 inhibitors by 6 month follow-up. None of the patients have reported on pain or adverse events during or after treatment.
The results of this study demonstrate a possible alternative treatment for some of the patients who did not respond to first-line oral pharmacotherapy and thanks to this treatment may avoid turning to other therapy options which are less convenient to use. In parallel, these data imply on a potential mean to eliminate the need for PDE5i which may significantly improve patients’ quality of life. In order to establish the overall effect of this treatment on the quality of life of ED patients, a larger study with longer follow-up duration is required.
==fine abstract==
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