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Treatment of Vasculogenic Erectile Dysfunction with Piezowave2 Device. Application of Low Intensity Shockwaves Using Novel Linear Shockwave Tissue Coverage (LSTC-ED®) Technique. A Prospective, Multicentric, Placebo-Controlled Study

Authors:
Advances in Sexual Medicine, 2016, 6, 15-18
Published Online April 2016 in SciRes. http://www.scirp.org/journal/asm
http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/asm.2016.62002
How to cite this paper: Motil, I., Kubis, I. and Sramkova, T. (2016) Treatment of Vasculogenic Erectile Dysfunction with Pie-
zowave
2
Device. Application of Low Intensity Shockwaves Using Novel Linear Shockwave Tissue Coverage (LSTC-ED
®
) Tech-
nique. A Prospective, Multicentric, Placebo-Controlled Study. Advances in Sexual Medicine, 6, 15-18.
http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/asm.2016.62002
Treatment of Vasculogenic Erectile
Dysfunction with Piezowave
2
Device.
Application of Low Intensity Shockwaves
Using Novel Linear Shockwave Tissue
Coverage (LSTC-ED
®
) Technique.
A Prospective, Multicentric,
Placebo-Controlled Study
Igor Motil
1
, Ivan Kubis
2
, Tatana Sramkova
3
1
Urology and Andrology Center, Brno, Czech Republic
2
Urology and Andrology Center, Banska Bystrica, Slovakia
3
Department of Urology and Institute of Sexology, The 1st Facullty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague,
Czech Republic
Received 20 February 2016; accepted 4 April 2016; published 7 April 2016
Copyright © 2016 by authors and Scientific Research Publishing Inc.
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution International License (CC BY).
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Abstract
Low intensity shockwave (LiSW) treatment is known to improve revascularization. The method
has been evaluated and is used to treat vasculogenic erectile dysfunction (ED). The present study
aimed to demonstrate the efficacy of a linear focused piezoelectric shockwave device (Richard
Wolf/ELvationPiezowave
2
) to treat patients with vasculogenic ED using a novel linear shockwave
tissue coverage LSTC-ED
®
technique. A total of 75 patients were treated using the Piezowave
2
de-
vice and the LSTC-ED
®
technique. Patients’ erectile function was evaluated using the modified
IIEF-5 (International Index of Erectile Function) scale at the beginning of treatment and at 1
month post treatment; patients were additionally questioned using our own Treatment Satisfac-
tion Questionnaire (TSQ). The study also included a group of 50 patients treated by placebo; the
outcomes of both groups were compared. The average IIEF-5 score of patients in the treatment
group increased from 14.4 at baseline to 18.6 at 1 month post treatment. According to the IIEF-5
scale, treatment was successful in 81.33% of patients (61/75). According to the Treatment Satis-
faction Questionnaire (answers 1 to 3 of the TSQ), treatment was successful in 77.3% of patients
I. Motil et al.
16
(58/75). In the placebo group of 50 patients only 5 patients showed an improvement based on IIEF
score, and 8 reported an improvement based on their answers to the TSQ. No significant adverse
effects were observed during treatment or in the follow-up period. The Piezowave
2
device and the
LSTC-ED
®
technique proved to be suitable and effective to treat erectile dysfunction.
Keywords
Piezowave
2
, LSTC-ED
®
, Erectile Dysfunction, Extracorporeal Shockwaves,
Low Intensity Shockwave Therapy
1. Introduction
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is defined as inability to achieve or maintain erection adequate for sexual intercourse.
The association between vascular disease and erectile dysfunction has been recognized and well documented.
Alterations in the vascular hemodynamics are believed to be the most common cause of organic erectile dys-
function .Vascular diseases such as diabetes mellitus or atherosclerotic vascular occlusive disease are present in
up to 60% of ED patients.
It has been demonstrated that shockwaves can improve intrinsic angiogenic activity when used to treat
ischemic heart disease [1]. Current methods for treating vasculogenic ED aim to reduce symptoms rather than
reverse the cause of the disorder, which in most cases is due to disorders affecting arterial inflow, so the
use of
shockwaves to treat ED has been evaluated [2] [3] using a modified orthopedic device [4]. The present study
aims to assess the safety and efficacy of a shockwave device, the Piezowave² device of Richard Wolf GmbH,
which offers substantially superior treatment parameters and organ coverage using a new Linear Shockwave
Tissue Coverage LSTC-ED
®
technique.
The study was conducted in accordance with the principles of the Helsinki Declaration, and approved by the
Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic and by the 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University. The survey
was administered anonymously by trained researchers under the supervision of Institute of Sexology, the 1st
Faculty of Medicine, Charles University. All respondents gave consent to participate.
2. Patients and Methods
This study was a prospective, multicenter, placebo-controlled study. The study consisted of a screening phase, a
treatment phase and follow-up at 1 month. In the screening phase, 157 patients arrived for physical examination
and their medical history was recorded. Only heterosexual men aged between 36 and 71 years with vasculogenic
ED for at least 6 months, an International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) score of 7 to 21 while on PDE5-I,
and
in a stable heterosexual relationship since at least 6 months were recruited to the study.
Vasculogenic ED was assessed by measuring of Cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) which is an excellent
indicator of arterial stiffness. CAVI has been widely applied clinically to assess arterial stiffness [5].
All 75 (+50 placebo group) recruited patients were responders to phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors
(PDE5-I) and use PDE5-I prior to and during the treatment as usual.
Exclusion criteria were hormonal, neurological or psychological pathology; prior radical prostatectomy; un-
stable medical, psychiatric and/or spinal cord injury; penile abnormality; clinically significant chronic hemato-
logical disease; use of anti-androgens, treatment for cancer in the past 5 years; radiotherapy of the pelvic region.
All patients completed the baseline evaluation questionnaire which consisted of 5 questions from the modified
IIEF-5.
This questionnaire consists of 5 questions on erectile function; the IIEF-5 scale ranges from 1 - 25 points,
with some level of ED considered to be present for scores below 21 points.
The newly designed TSQ questionnaire comprised the 4 questions shown below. This questionnaire had been
created by us to be able to evaluate treatment results and satisfaction more precisely and
it proved to be very
understandable for all patients.
Both questionnaires were also used to evaluate treatment one month after treatment had ended.
Treatment consisted of four weekly sessions using the LSTC-ED
®
technique. The technique covers the entire
I. Motil et al.
17
organ and was developed and introduced in 2014 at our department based on our experiences with appropriate
LiSW devices. In each session 4000 shocks of 0.16 mJ/mm
2
were applied. The wave focus penetration depth
was set to 10 - 15 mm. Shocks were applied to the corpora cavernosa (2000) and the crus of the penis (2000).
The treatment areas were the same in each session, so that by the end of the full course of treatment (4 sessions)
the total number of applied shocks was 16,000. Each session lasted 8.3 minutes, and the total treatment time was
33 minutes, with the total energy applied amounting to 2560 mJ.
50 patients in the placebo group were given the same treatment regimen; however, the device was switched
off and a typical shockwave sound recording (MP3 file) was played through external speakers. During treatment
as well as during the first month following treatment, all patients took PDE5-I where necessary. Follow-up was
done 1 month post treatment. The primary criterion of success was defined as an increase in IIEF-5 score from
baseline to follow-up at 1 month after treatment, with the severity of symptoms graded according to the
minimal
clinically important differences in the erectile function domain of the International Index of Erectile Function
scale (IIEF-5) [6], modified as shown in Table 1.
3. Assessed Device
The Piezowave
2
of Richard Wolf GmbH and Elvation Medical GmbH differs from other shockwave devices in
that it offers full organ coverage and superior treatment parameters. The device uses piezoelectric elements (ra-
ther than electrohydraulic or electromagnetic principles) to generate shockwaves and linear double layer tech-
nology to apply shockwaves to the target area. In linear shockwave therapy (LSWT), the treatment area is 46
mm long and 4 mm wide with a penetration depth into the target organ of 5 - 20 mm. Shocks are delivered at a
maximum rate of 480 PPM (8 Hz), resulting in shorter treatment sessions than with other shockwave devices.
These characteristics combined with the LSTC-ED
®
technique allowed sufficient energy to be applied to the
whole penile area in a very short space of time.
4. Results
157 patients were initially examined before patient selection. Finally a total of 75 (+50) middle-aged men (mean
age: 56.5 years, range: 35 - 70 years) with vasculogenic ED were recruited and finished the
study. There were
no drop-off patients.
71% of patients suffered from comorbidities such as diabetes (18%), hypertension (36%), dyslipidemia (21%)
or coronary heart disease (3%). According to results obtained with the IIEF-5 scale, treatment was successful in
81.33 % of patients (61/75).
Our original TSQ questionnaire consisted of 4 questions:
Q1. I was: 1) very satisfied; 2) fairly satisfied; 3) satisfied; 4) rather unsatisfied; 5) unsatisfied with the effect
of treatment;
Q2. Treatment was: 1) painless; 2) slightly uncomfortable; 3) neutral; 4) rather uncomfortable; 5) uncomfort-
able;
Q3. My sexual life after the treatment is: 1) much better; 2) substantially improved; 3) better; 4) not much
improved; 5) not improved;
Q4. I would: 1) definitely recommend this treatment; 2) probably recommend this treatment; 3) recommend
this treatment; 4) rather not recommend this treatment; 5) not recommend this treatment to other patients.
Based on the answers to these questions, 58 of 75 patients (77.3%) showed themselves to be satisfied or very
Table 1. The success criteria of this study-modified from: Rosen RC, Allen
KR, Ni X, Araujo AB, Minimal clinically important differences in the erec-
tile function domain of the International Index of Erectile Function scale,
European Urology, November 2011, 60(5): 1010-1016.
IIEF-5 Baseline Score Success Factor
5 - 8 Improvement of 7 Points or More
9 - 14 Improvement of 5 Points or More
15 - 21 Improvement of 2 Points or More
I. Motil et al.
18
satisfied with the treatment received (answers 1 - 3). No patient reported significant pain during treatment, and
82% of patients stated that they would recommend this treatment to others.
In the placebo group only 5 patients (10%) showed an improvement in IIEF-5 score; based on the TSQ only 8
patients (16%) reported greater satisfaction after placebo treatment.
There were no complications or side effects during the treatment.
5. Discussions
Given that the reported success rate after treating patients with other comorbidities and an initial IIEF-5 score of
6 - 8 points is only around 20%, selecting eligible patients with vasculogenic ED suitable for treatment is cru-
cial.
We are currently working on the first unique algorithm which will allow us to customize treatment to each pa-
tient. The overall number of shocks applied will take factors into account that could influence the outcome of
treatment (e.g., degree of erectile dysfunction, blood sugar and lipid levels, smoking, etc.). We believe that this
tailored” treatment is right pathway for the future evolution of this treatment because it would not only reduce
costs but especially increase the efficacy.
The study is still ongoing, with more patients included and
further follow-ups are planned to evaluate the long
term duration of treatment efficacy as well as the long term safety and possibility of re-treatment
Patients will be evaluated after 3 and 6 months, than after 1 and 2 years. We expect the IIEF-5 score to have
increased by 3 - 6 months post treatment as has been reported in previous studies.
6. Conclusion
The results of this study indicate that Piezowave
2
and the LSTC-ED
®
technique are effective to treat mild to
moderate vasculogenic ED using low-intensity focused shockwaves. More studies are required to confirm the
safety and efficacy of this treatment. Particularly, we believe that in the future it is the most important to focus
on the unification of treatment parameters among different devices, techniques and to perform more multicen-
tric, placebo-controlled studies on this harmonized basis as well as to evaluate results with respect to our new
treatment algorithm developed for tailored treatment.
References
[1] Ito, K., Fukumoto, Y. and Shimokawa, H. (2009) Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy as a New and Non-Invasive
Angiogenic Strategy. The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine, 219, 1-9. http://dx.doi.org/10.1620/tjem.219.1
[2] Vardi, Y., Appel, B., Jacob, G., Massarwi, O. and Gruenwald, I. (2010) Can Low-Intensity Extracorporeal Shockwave
Therapy Improve Erectile Function? A 6-Month Follow-Up Pilot Study in Patients with Organic Erectile Dysfunction.
European Urology, 58, 243-248. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.eururo.2010.04.004
[3] Vardi, Y., Appel, B., Kilchevsky, A. and Gruenwald, I. (2012) Does Low Intensity Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy
Have a Physiological Effect on Erectile Function? Short-Term Results of a Randomized, Double-Blind, Sham Con-
trolled Study. The Journal of Urology, 187, 1769-1775. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2011.12.117
[4] http://media.wix.com/ugd/70bd6d_2a775ceb8e1e4d60a748fed557b8f44d.pdf
[5] Sun, C.K. (2013) Cardio-Ankle Vascular Index (CAVI) as an Indicator of Arterial Stiffness. Integrated Blood Pressure
Control, 6, 27-38. http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/IBPC.S34423
[6] Rosen, R.C., Allen, K.R., Ni, X. and Araujo, A.B. (2011) Minimal Clinically Important Differences in the Erectile
Function Domain of the International Index of Erectile Function Scale. European Urology, 60, 1010-1016.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.eururo.2011.07.053
... Since that time, multiple retrospective, single-arm prospective, and randomized-controlled trials have been published. This includes 11 randomized, sham-controlled trials evaluating the impact of LiSWT on men with vasculogenic ED ( Table 2) (32)(33)(34)(35)(36)(37)(38)(39)(40)(41)(42). Results are somewhat mixed owing in part to differences in patient populations, study design, outcomes assessed, follow-up duration, and the type of shockwave technology utilized. ...
... I n t o t a l , 7 / 1 1 ( 6 4 % ) s h a m -c o n t r o l l e d t r i a l s showed a statistically significant increase in IIEF scores in the treatment arm when compared with the control arm. IIEF scores (either IIEF-EF or IIEF-5) in the treatment arm ranged from +1-12.5 points, depending on the specific study (32,35,36,(38)(39)(40)(41)(42). 3/11 trials (27%) did not show a benefit favoring LiSWT over sham (33,34,37). ...
... Trials from Fojecki et al. and Olsen et al. similarly failed to show a significant difference in outcomes for LiSWT compared with sham-control (33,34). Motil and colleagues did not include a statistical analysis, but their results appear to favor LiSWT over sham, with >80% of patients in the treatment arm achieving a minimal clinically important difference (MCID) in IIEF scores (38). This refers to a change in IIEF scores based on the severity of underlying ED prior to treatment, as defined by Rosen et al. (43). ...
Article
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Erectile dysfunction (ED) impacts a significant portion of the aging male population. Standard treatments such as oral medications, intracavernosal injections, intraurethral suppositories, vacuum erection aids, and penile prosthesis placement have stood the test of time. Recently, there has been a growing interest in the concept of regenerative medicine with the goal of restoring or renewing functional tissue. Low intensity shock wave therapy (LiSWT) is one example of a regenerative therapy. A strong body of basic science data suggests that shockwaves, when applied to local tissue, will encourage blood vessel and nerve regeneration. Clinical evidence supports the use of LiSWT to treat conditions ranging from ischemic heart disease, musculoskeletal injuries, and even chronic non-healing wounds. LiSWT is also being used to treat male sexual dysfunction conditions such as Peyronie's Disease and ED. The first studied application of LiSWT for ED was published in 2010. Since then multiple randomized, sham-controlled trials have sought to evaluate outcomes for this novel therapy in men with vasculogenic ED. Additionally, several meta-analyses are available with pooled data suggesting that LiSWT results in a significantly greater improvement in erectile function relative to sham-control. Despite these promising findings, the current body of literature is marred by significant heterogeneity relating to treatment protocols, patient populations, and follow-up duration. Further work is necessary to determine optimal device technologies, patient characteristics, and treatment duration prior to considering LiSWT as standard of care for men with ED.
... Three RCTs were comparing different treatment protocols of LI-ESWT for ED [35][36][37]. Finally, 10 RCTs with a total of 872 patients that compared LI-ESWT with sham-control treatment were included for metaanalysis [24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33] (Fig. 1). The mean number of participants per study was 87 (range 20-139), the mean age was 58 (range 27-81) years, and the mean follow-up was 5.12 months (range 1-12). ...
... They excluded patients with ED due to psychiatric, neurological, hormonal, or anatomical conditions, ED due to pharmacological treatment, and patients after pelvic surgery or irradiation. Two of the RCTs additionally defined vasculogenic ED using penile doppler duplex/triplex ultrasound [27,31] and one using cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) [29]. From the remaining studies, one RCT investigated LI-ESWT in EDpatients post nerve-sparing radical cystectomy [33], one RCT in kidney transplant recipients with ED [32], one RCT in patients with organic ED [30], one cohort in ED-patients post radical prostatectomy [18] and one cohort with ED of miscellaneous aetiology [20]. ...
... Most of the studies were considered to be of low risk of bias except 2 studies. The study by Motil et al. provided inadequate information regarding the randomisation as well as the blinding process, the outcome measures were only partially described, and the controlled treatment was performed with the device switched off with typical shockwave sound recording playing through external speakers, which could not allow blinding among the physicians [29]. The study by Srini et al. provided also inadequate information regarding the randomisation and blinding process, it had a very high dropout rate which was not adequately explained in the paper, and used statistically different groups at baseline in terms of ED and comorbidities [27]. ...
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The efficacy of low intensity extracorporeal shock wave therapy (LI-ESWT) for erectile dysfunction (ED) has received hard criticism and recently published meta-analyses were not able to provide further insights, nor specific recommendations. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to evaluate the efficacy of LI-ESWT for ED, identify the ideal treatment population and treatment protocol, and provide recommendations for future research in the field. A systematic research for relevant clinical studies published from January 2010 to September 2018 was performed, using the following databases: Medline, Embase, The Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Web of Science. Only clinical studies that investigated the efficacy of LI-ESWT for ED only, and reported primary outcomes using IIEF-EF scores/questionnaires were included. Both, randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and cohort studies were included, but the meta-analysis was performed only for sham-controlled RCTs. Ten RCTs including 873 patients were selected for the meta-analysis. Pooling data of these studies showed that LI-ESWT could significantly improve erectile function in men with ED regarding both patient-subjective outcomes (IIEF-EF: +3.97; 95% CI [2.09–5.84]; p < 0.0001, EHS ≥ 3: OR: 4.35; 95% CI [1.82–10.37]; p = 0.0009) and patient-objective outcomes (peak systolic velocity: +4.12; 95% CI [2.30–5.94]; p < 0.00001). In conclusion, the present meta-analysis provided results showing that LI-ESWT significantly improves erectile function in patients with vasculogenic ED.
... The Piezowave 2 provides focused and linear shockwaves with good precision, with easy operating modes and independent adjustment of the penetration depth and the intensity setting. It offers superior treatment parameters and organ coverage using a new linear shockwave tissue coverage technique (LSTC-ED) (Motil et al., 2016). ...
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Low‐intensity shockwave therapy (LiSWT) has emerged as a promising non‐invasive treatment modality for erectile dysfunction (ED) yet the well‐designed randomized clinical trials are still lacking to prove its claimed benefits. A randomized, prospective, double‐blinded sham‐controlled study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness and safety profile of short course LiSWT on vasculogenic ED patients. The International Index of Erectile Function‐5 (IIEF‐5) and Erection Hardness Score (EHS) questionnaires were used for evaluation. Patients underwent weekly sessions for 4 weeks and were re‐assessed at 1, 3 and 6 months post therapy. Fifty one patients were recruited and randomized into sham and treatment arms. The mean IIEF‐5 scores were significantly improved in the treatment arm compared to worsening of scores in the sham arm after 1 month (14.1 vs. 9.3 p < 0.001), 3 months (14.9 vs. 8.6, p < 0.001) and 6 months (14.2 vs. 7.9, p < 0.001) post treatment. A significant improvement of EHS was demonstrated at 1 month (2.4 vs. 1.8, p = 0.001, 3 months 2.7 vs. 1.7, p < 0.001) and 6 months (2.7 vs. 1.6, p < 0.001) in the treatment arm compared to sham arm. The success rate based on IIEF score increment more than five points was 26% in treatment arm and 0% in sham arm. Improvement in EHS score ≥3 in the treatment versus sham arm was 63% and 4%, respectively. There was no adverse effect reported. This 4‐week LiSWT protocol reflects better treatment compliance, and it prevents further deterioration of erectile function among this cohort of patients. This study proves that LiSWT is a well‐tolerated treatment with modest improvements in erectile function and hardness, among patients with vasculogenic ED.
... To this date, there is only 13 randomized placebo controlled clinical trials investigating LI-ESWT as a treatment for ED [9,10,21,[23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31]. Additionally, there has been five meta-analyses published regarding LI-ESWT studies [32][33][34][35][36]. ...
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PurposeOver the last decade, penile low-intensity extracorporeal shockwave therapy (LI-ESWT) has emerged as a promising alternative for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED). The aim of this trial is to assess the effect of electromagnetic LI-ESWT on the erectile function of vascular phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor (PDE5I) refractory ED patients.Methods Randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled study. 76 patients with vascular PDE5I-refractory ED completed the study. 40 men were treated with LI-ESWT (1 session/week for 4 weeks, 5000 shocks/session, 0.09 mJ/mm2 energy density) and 36 were treated with a sham probe. Baseline and post-treatment (1, 3 and 6 months) evaluations were performed using validated erectile function questionnaires (IIEF-EF, EHS, SEP2, SEP3 and GAQ1). The groups were compared using Mann–Whitney–Wilcoxon and chi-squared tests, with results considered statistically significant at p < 0.05.ResultsAt the 3-month follow-up, median change in IIEF-EF score for active and sham groups was 3.5 (IQR 0–10) and − 0.5 (IQR − 11 to 1), respectively (p < 0.05). Six months after treatment, 52.5% of patients (21/40) in the active group and 27.8% of patients (10/36) in the sham group presented an EHS > 2 (p < 0.05). At the same evaluation, 40.0% (16/40) and 13.9% (5/36) of patients had positive answers to GAQ-1, in the treated and sham groups, respectively (p < 0.05). No adverse events were observed during the study.Conclusion This study showed that penile electromagnetic shockwave therapy may improve erectile function, to a modest extent, on certain patients that do not respond to PDE5I; making it an alternative for vascular ED patients that reject more invasive therapies.
... Several types of SW generators have been used; most of the studies were performed with focused SW generators, and only 2 RCTs used a linear generator. 10,15 There are no data directly comparing the 2 types of generators; in 1 meta-analysis the authors performed a sub-group analysis according to the type of generators used, reporting a significant improvement of the IIEF-EF only for studies applying focused SWs. 21 Overall, current evidence is too limited to draw final conclusions on the best SW generator. ...
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... Since unfocused probe distributes shockwaves to a larger portion of corpus cavernosum than focused probe, restoration, and tissue regeneration are more efficiently stimulated in corpus cavernosum and moreover, user errors are less likely than focused ESWT [26]. ...
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