Low-intensity extracorporeal shockwave therapy in the treatment of erectile dysfunction following radical prostatectomy: a critical review

• Published in: International journal of impotence research Vol. 31; no. 3; pp. 231 - 238
• Main Authors: Usta, Mustafa F., Gabrielson, Andrew T., Bivalacqua, Trinity J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.05.2019; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 692/700; 692/700/565; 9/10; Animals; Cancer surgery; Care and treatment; Clinical trials; Disease Models, Animal; Erectile dysfunction; Erectile Dysfunction - etiology; Erectile Dysfunction - therapy; Evidence-based medicine; Health aspects; Humans; Impotence; Lithotripsy; Male; Medical research; Medical schools; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Mens health; Methods; Neurophysiology; Patient outcomes; Penis; Postoperative Complications - etiology; Postoperative Complications - therapy; Prostate cancer; Prostatectomy; Prostatectomy - adverse effects; Reproductive Medicine; Review Article; rology; Sexual disorders; Stem cell research; Surgery; Ultrasonic Therapy; Urological surgery; Urology
• ISSN: 0955-9930; 1476-5489
• DOI: 10.1038/s41443-019-0121-3

Low-intensity extracorporeal shockwave therapy (LI-ESWT) to the penis has recently emerged as novel therapeutic option in the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED). Randomized-controlled studies investigating the effect of this new treatment modality revealed promising results in men with vasculogenic ED. However, the efficacy of LI-ESWT in men who develop ED following radical prostatectomy (RP) remains obscure due to the exclusion of this group in nearly all clinical trials. In this review, the authors synthesize the findings from available preclinical and clinical studies that examine the potential utility of LI-ESWT in men with post-RP ED.