Miller School Team Investigates Novel Shockwave Therapy for Erectile Dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction is a condition affecting as many as 30 million men in America — 50 percent of whom are over the age of 60. Despite its prevalence, there have been no major advances since the late 1990s. A team at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine is the only group in the U.S. that is studying a promising new treatment – the low-intensity shockwave device Renova-Erectile Dysfunction (Renova-ED).

The Renova-ED device.

A linear shockwave device, Renova-ED incorporates a unique shockwave transducer to deliver short, incredibly fast bursts of energy to a targeted part of the body — in this case, the left and right corpora cavernosa and the crura, portions of penile tissue.  It’s an acoustic wave therapy, similar to ultrasound.

Ranjith Ramasamy, M.D., a recognized specialist in urology, is the chief investigator in various clinical trials focused on determining the safety and efficacy of shockwave therapy, which has improved erectile function in some cases. The therapy is painless to a patient, and there are no known side effects.

“It is very important to look at the underlying pathophysiology of the condition as a means of treatment protocol for ED,” said Dr. Ramasamy, who is director of male reproductive medicine and surgery and assistant professor of urology at the Miller School. “We have found that Renova-ED can increase blood flow to the penis and harvest stem cells to help men achieve fuller erections.” The best candidates for this type of new therapy are men who have not tried any therapy medications, or those who have already tried Viagra or Cialis.

The FDA has already approved shockwave therapy to promote wound healing, and for the treatment of plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis, and epicondylitis of the elbow. In 2010, linear shockwave therapy began being studied in the treatment of erectile dysfunction.

This form of shockwave therapy, however, is different from ESWL (Extracorporeal Shockwave Lithotripsy), commonly used to break up kidney stones. It uses a lower energy volume and can be focused on a more concentrated area to obtain better results.

For information about the shockwave therapy, call 305-243-6591.

Tags: Dr. Ranjith Ramasamy, erectile dysfunction, Shockwave therapy