Erectile dysfunction (ED) affects 30% of all men above the age of 40 years and its prevalence steadily increases with age. Current nonsurgical treatment options, including phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5I), provide temporary relief but have failed to provide a permanent improvement of the condition. Low-intensity extracorporeal shockwave therapy (Li-ESWT) is noninvasive and uses acoustic waves, which can pass through tissue and be focussed to target specific areas or organs to induce the desired effects.
The use of Li-ESWT has previously been described in other disease contexts, such as ischaemic heart disease, bone fractures, and burns, in which it improves neoangiogenesis; similar principles seem to apply in the erectile tissue. The major potential advantage of the treatment, therefore, is the possibility to restore natural erectile function. Thus, Li-ESWT is the only…
