Low-intensity extracorporeal shock wave therapy for erectile dysfunction after radical prostatectomy: a review of preclinical studies

• Published in: International journal of impotence research Vol. 30; no. 1; pp. 1 - 7
• Main Authors: Zou, Zi-jun, Liang, Jia-yu, Liu, Zhi-hong, Gao, Rui, Lu, Yi-ping
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.02.2018; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 692/308; 692/699; Animals; Cancer surgery; Care and treatment; Clinical trials; Complications and side effects; Diabetes Complications - therapy; Erectile dysfunction; Erectile Dysfunction - etiology; Erectile Dysfunction - therapy; Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy; Humans; Impotence; Lithotripsy; Male; Medical research; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Mens health; Methods; Nervous system diseases; Nervous System Diseases - therapy; Patient outcomes; Postoperative Complications - etiology; Postoperative Complications - therapy; Prostate cancer; Prostatectomy; Prostatectomy - adverse effects; Reproductive Medicine; Reproductive system; Review; review-article; rology; Sexual disorders; Surgery; Type 2 diabetes; Urological surgery; Urology
• ISSN: 0955-9930; 1476-5489
• DOI: 10.1038/s41443-017-0002-6

Low-intensity extracorporeal shock wave therapy (LI-ESWT) is a novel treatment for erectile dysfunction (ED). Its ability to improve erectile function has been shown in patients with vasculogenic ED by many randomized-controlled trials against sham procedures. However, the role of LI-ESWT in ED caused by radical prostatectomy (RP) is still questionable because this type of ED was excluded from nearly all clinical studies; it has been investigated in only a few small single-arm trials. This review summarizes preclinical studies on mechanisms of action of LI-ESWT for ED and neurological diseases to explore the potential of this treatment for nerve-impaired ED after RP.