Canada: Vacuum erection device (VED) traction therapy may improve curvature resolution in patients opting for non-invasive management of Peyronie's disease (PD), suggests a recent study in the Canadian Urological Association Journal.
Peyronie's disease, a connective tissue disorder of the penis, affects about 0.7– 11% of men. Numerous treatments have been proposed for the disorder. Options for invasive management include injectable or surgical therapy while penile traction therapy with VED is a non-invasive approach. Landan P. MacDonald from Dalhousie University in Canada and colleagues assessed outcomes for PD patients who opt for non-invasive management.
The researchers performed a retrospective analysis for 53 PD patients who were followed for at least 3 months and opted for non-invasive therapy. The patients were instructed to initiate VED traction therapy for 10 minutes twice per day. At initial and subsequent encounters, patients were assessed for the degree of PD deformity and erectile function (Sexual Health Inventory for Men [SHIM] score).
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Key findings of the study include:
Among untreated patients who did not use a VED, nine showed improvement, 20 remained stable, and four had worsening curvature.
The untreated group had a significant change in curvature, with a mean improvement (SD) of 3.6 (12) º.
All 20 men who initiated VED traction therapy had an improvement in curvature with a significant mean (SD) improvement of 23 (16) º.
Changes in SHIM scores did vary significantly between groups.
No complications were noted.
"In patients opting for non-invasive management of PD, VED traction therapy provided improved curvature resolution compared to those who do not use such a device," concluded the authors.
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The study, "Outcome analysis of patients with Peyronie's disease who elect for vacuum erection device therapy," is published in the Canadian Urological Association Journal.
DOI: https://cuaj.ca/index.php/journal/article/view/6205