Ces Urol 2016, 20(1):16-22 | DOI: 10.48095/cccu2016003

The use of shock waves in the treatment of erectile dysfunction

Pavel Turčan

Centrum MEDIOL s.r.o., ordinace sexuologie a andrologie, Olomouc

Turčan P. The use of shock waves in the treatment of erectile dysfunction. Erectile dysfunction is a problem affecting many men. It is defined as the inability to develop or maintain sufficient erection of the penis to perform satisfying sexual intercourse. Several modalities are used for the treatment of erectile dysfunction and the choice of a suitable approach respects recommendations of the European Association of Urology. One of the new options, widening the range of methods used, is the use of low-intensity extracorporeal shock wave. This review summarises information concerning the technology of shock waves, their effect, functioning mechanism, treatment effectiveness, and also an overview of instruments available in the market used for this purpose. According to various studies the effectiveness of different types of such instruments is fairly identical; the improvement of erection is obtained by 70-80 % of patients. No matter how promising the actual results may seem further research of the method´s efficacy is still necessary.

Keywords: Erectile dysfunction, cardiovascular risk, shock wave treatment, recommended approach.

Received: January 7, 2016; Accepted: February 15, 2016; Prepublished online: March 24, 2016; Published: April 1, 2016