Men who experience erectile dysfunction as a result of clogged arteries leading to the penis may soon have another option for treatment beyond the oral and urethral medications available which do not work for every man. Medtronic Inc, the pharmaceutical company responsible for this new treatment usually use it to treat patients with heart disease however they have carried out a study that explored the use of their drug coated stent in erectile dysfunction patients.
30 men participated in the study and each of them had a stent implanted. The men were an average age of 60 years and had erectile dysfunction due to narrow arteries in the pelvis. 3 months after the stent had been implanted men noticed a 68% improvement. For men who do not benefit from the conventional therapies out there, the stent could be a realistic option. The stent basically props open arteries to allow blood flow so this is an invasive treatment that requires more safety and efficacy evaluations before it is taken to the market.
The pharmaceutical company will be carrying out a second study, Impasse, and this will involve 350 men. Given the invasive nature of the treatment, it will be very much a last resort.