The Effect Of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy On Erectile Function Recovery In The Rat Cavernous Nerve Injury Model

Main Category: Erectile Dysfunction / Premature Ejaculation
Also Included In: Urology / Nephrology;  Men's health
Article Date: 05 Nov 2006 - 0:00 PST

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UroToday.com - Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, conventionally used to promote healing for destructive injury or metabolic disease tissue damage, has been explored to have a role in treating erectile dysfunction.

In an animal model of pelvic nerve injury mimicking the nerve trauma of pelvic surgery such as complete prostate removal for prostate cancer, the therapy preserved erectile function to a significantly greater extent than in its absence.

Mechanisms of nerve and penile tissue damage appeared to be reversed by the therapy.

The study supports the potential benefit of approaches to preserve oxygenation of the penis in the face of disease or injury which threatens the health and function of the organ.

Editor's note: Erectile rehabilitation following and erectile preservation during radical prostatectomy is an active area for clinical research. Despite refined surgical techniques, most men will not have recovery of erectile function following prostatectomy for 12-24 months. In this experimental model the potential role of hyperbaric oxygen treatments is explored. Periodic tissue oxygenation of penile tissues occurs with nightly erections. One theory is that nocturnal penile tumescence serves the purpose of keeping the normal penis healthy by periodically increased oxygen tensions in the penile vascular bed. This animal model tries to duplicate cavernous nerve injury, which occurs during radical prostatectomy and evaluate whether hyperbaric could be of help in recovering patients from radical prostatectomy. To make that recommendation clinically we will first have to see whether patients randomized to this therapy post op actually recovered erections sooner than control patients undergoing prostatectomy without post-op treatments.

AUA 2006 - Abstract 690

Reviewed by UroToday.com Contributing Editor Arthur Burnett

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