Journal of Andrology
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Published-Ahead-of-Print November 20, 2008, DOI:10.2164/jandrol.108.005835
Journal of Andrology, Vol. 30, No. 4, July/August 2009
Copyright © American Society of Andrology
DOI: 10.2164/jandrol.108.005835

This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
30/4/384    most recent
Author Manuscript (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Kim, E. D.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Kim, E. D.

Minireview

Local Therapies to Heal the Penis: Fact or Fiction?

EDWARD D. KIM

From the Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine, Knoxville, Tennessee.

Correspondence to: Dr Edward D. Kim, Department of Urology and Urologic Surgery, University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine, 1928 Alcoa Hwy, Suite 222, Knoxville, TN 37920 (e-mail: ekim{at}mc.utmck.edu).



Abstract

Penile rehabilitation has been an area of intense study and debate over the last decade. Interest in this topic was stimulated by the observation that erectile dysfunction remained a significant problem after radical prostatectomy despite meticulous nerve-sparing technique. Smooth muscle alterations and fibrotic changes in the penis were identified as the underlying causes of penile atrophy, veno-occlusive dysfunction, and Peyronie's-like changes that were observed after surgery. Initial observations that intracavernous injection therapies used on a regular basis postoperatively resulted in improvements in the return of spontaneous erectile function led to the development of penile rehabilitation protocols. Chronic dosing of oral type V phosphodiesterase inhibitors is now commonly used by urologists after radical prostatectomy despite a lack of convincing evidence from randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials. Use of local therapies to heal the penis may have applications beyond the postprostatectomy patient. This article reviews the current evidence behind penile rehabilitation therapy.

     Key words: Penile rehabilitation, radical prostatectomy






HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 2009 by The American Society of Andrology.