efficacy of low-intensity extra corporal shockwave therapy (li-eswt) in patients with erectile dysfunction

Objective: erectile dysfunction (ed) is a common cause of sexual disorders in men with limited treatment options. this study aimed to determine the efficacy of low-intensity extra corporal shockwave therapy (li-eswt) in patients suffering from ed.materials and methods: a single-group, pre-test, and post-test pre-experimental study were conducted. thirty-one ed patients were prospectively selected according to the eligibility criteria. in each session, 3000 shocks were applied at 5 points over the penis. eight sessions were delivered in total with a 2–3-day interval. the patient’s condition was assessed using the international index of electric function (iief-5) questionnaire at baseline and one month after the last treatment session. paired t-test was used to determine the difference between the pre-test and post-test.results: mean age of the patients was 44.6 (± 14.70) ranging from 25 to 78 years. the majority of them were married (83.9%) and service providers (51.6%). we have also found 51.6% overweight, 9.7% obese, 48.4% diabetic, 45.2% hypertensive, 12.9% with enlarged prostate, 45.2% smoker, 25.8% alcoholic, and 71% with sleep disturbances. during the pre-test, 9.7% had severe ed and 51.6% had moderate ed. after the treatment, no patients were found with severe ed, and few of them had moderate ed (9.7%). the mean difference in iief-5 score during the pre-test and post-test was statistically significant (p= < 0.001).conclusion: the study showed efficacy of li-eswt in a subset of patients with ed. future studies with larger sample size, placebo group, and longer follow-up periods are recommended.