Erectile Dysfunction (ED) patients today can be cured without medication. Low-Intensity Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (LI-ESWT), the therapy of choice to treat Erectile Dysfunction.
Until now Erectile Dysfunction (ED) is still a frightening problem for men, especially because it can cause disharmony in relationships with partners and in the long term will reduce the quality of life. Apart from psychological factors, as many as 2/3 of Erectile Dysfunction cases are caused by physical abnormalities such as: diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol), impaired kidney function, impaired liver function, hypertension, stroke, abnormalities in the heart (heart failure, coronary heart disease) ), the aging process, hormonal disorders (insulin resistance, decreased testosterone levels), trauma to the pelvic area (male reproductive tract) such as after undergoing prostate surgery, consuming alcohol, smoking, or taking sedatives continuously for a long time.
Erectile dysfunction is one of the most common sexual dysfunction disorders found in men over the age of 40. Nearly 39% of men with Erectile Dysfunction aged 40-70 years have moderate and severe severity, while as many as 52% have mild to severe severity. From a study conducted in Boston (USA) found new cases of Erectile Dysfunction as many as 24 people per 1,000 men. It is estimated that by the end of 2025, as many as 322 million men in the world will suffer from erectile dysfunction. Meanwhile, there is no data in Indonesia yet. Considering that the causes of Erectile Dysfunction include diabetes mellitus, hypertension, heart disease, it is recommended that men with this disease should go to a urologist to check whether this disease is present or not. If Erectile Dysfunction is detected early, the treatment is relatively easy.
Various advances in the field of medicine, such as oral and non-drinking drug therapy such as vacuum pumps, injection drugs and surgery, have helped many men with Erectile Dysfunction. Several new things in erectile dysfunction therapy, including the discovery of new oral drugs and gene therapy. The latest therapy to treat erectile dysfunction that has been tested is Low-Intensity Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (LI-ESWT). This therapy is a revolutionary leap forward because it can cure or restore erectile ability in men without medication. Unlike other therapies, LI-ESWT is a shooting therapy with low intensity shock waves. This therapy is a unique innovation because it can restore spontaneous erection ability without surgery, does not cause pain, is easy to perform, so that the patient has the hope that the patient will no longer need to take drugs when having sexual intercourse.
The use of shock waves has actually been carried out since the 1980s for the management of kidney stones (ESWL), then used for orthopedics in the 1990s and cardiology in 2000. The LI (low intensity) ESWT technique is basically carried out by shooting low intensity shock waves. on the penis which will cause shear stress so that it has a positive impact with the formation of new blood vessels so that spontaneous erections can occur.
In 2010, an ESWT study was conducted in the field of urology with a study sample of men who respond well to oral medications (PDE 5i). After the drug was stopped for a month, then ESWT shooting was started on the penis (at the top, middle and base) 12 times, for 9 weeks consisting of: 2x a week for the first 3 weeks, 3 weeks break then shooting again for 3 weeks. The results were calculated erection hardness scores and the results are quite high on average after 8 shots. About 70 percent of the sample responded well to this therapy and 50 percent were able to return spontaneous erections without medication. In a subsequent randomized study (some by actual shooting and some by fake shooting without the knowledge of either the subject or the researcher), it was found that of men with Erectile Dysfunction who responded well to oral medications, as many as 70% responded well and were able to have spontaneous erections. without treatment.
Follow-up research was also conducted on samples that did not respond well to oral medication (severe erectile dysfunction). After Li-ESWT therapy, as many as 30 percent of men could have an erection without taking medication, and 40% managed to get an erection again by taking oral medication. This study was continued 6 months later, ESWT still gave good results, that is, out of 191 people treated, 47 percent responded well. Therefore, it can be said that LI-ESWT really gives new hope to Erectile Dysfunction patients, namely recovery without medication.
At present EMC Pulomas Urology Center Hospital has LI-ESWT equipment to help heal patients with Erectile Dysfunction. It is hoped that this tool will become one of the leading in the treatment of Erectile Dysfunction therapy. This LI-ESWT equipment will soon be operational and run by trained and professional staff for patient satisfaction.
Article written by dr. Johan R. Wibowo, Sp.U (Urological Surgery Specialist at EMC Pulomas Hospital).