Stem Cell Therapy Allows Patients to Recover Erectile Function
Erectile dysfunction, sometimes called “impotence,” is the repeated inability to obtain and maintain an erection for intercourse. Erectile dysfunction affects nearly half of all men between the ages of 40 and 70 to some degree. In recent years, researchers have been working to develop stem cell therapy to restore natural sexual function. New results from clinical trials show that stem cells applied to patients with “impotence” can restore enough erectile function to allow men suffering from sexual impotence to have spontaneous sex.
The Stem Cells Transplant Institute in Costa Rica has stem cell experts and state-to-the art technology that allows them to legally apply stem cell therapies. The goal of the institute is to offer patients all the possibilities of stem cells to address specific health needs and improve their quality of life.
The Annual Congress of the European Urology Association is Europe’s largest urological event. Specialists and affiliated medical professionals gather at this meeting to critically assess current clinical practices and key research developments. From March 24 to March 28 this year, attendees celebrated the 32nd Annual Congress of the European Urology Association in London.
The results from on study presented at the Congress showed 8 of 21 study participants successfully recovered their sexual function. This is the first time that stem cell therapy has produced patients who recovered enough erectile function to allow intercourse and physicians are very positive about these results.
A senior researcher at the University Hospital in Odense said: “What we have done establishes that this technique can lead to men recovering a spontaneous erection without the use of other medicines, injections, or implants”.
The clinical trial enrolled patients with physical damage caused by prostate cancer or surgery (although there are several possible causes of the damage including; surgery, high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and psychological problems).
The researchers used stem cells extracted from abdominal adipose tissue via liposuction. The stem cells were then injected into the cavernous body of the penis. The results showed that none of the 21 men reported any significant side effects over the trial period, or in the following year.
Six months after treatment, 8 of the 21 patients reported that they had regained enough erectile function to achieve penetrative sexual activity. This improvement has been maintained for one year, indicating that this treatment may provide long-term benefits.
In addition, using the International Erectile Function Index (IIEF) questionnaire to measure erectile function, where the average for men with “normal” sexual function is about 25; they found all 21 patients reported that their score had increased from 6 before the stem cell transplantation surgery, to 12, 6 months posttransplant. Even more impressive, in the group of men who recovered sexual function, the IIEF score increased from 7 to 14 (enough score to enable men to have a spontaneous erection sufficient for penetrative sex).
Leading researchers say the technique has been tested in animal work, but this is the first time that stem cell therapy has allowed human patients to recover enough erectile function to allow intercourse.
This technique promises to be a long-term solution for patients suffering from erectile dysfunction, who have not seen the beneficial effects of traditional medicine, such as PDE5 inhibitors (Viagra and Cialis), injections, or penile implants.
The procedure consists of extracting stem cells from fat tissue via liposuction and then injecting stem cells with a syringe into the penis, where the cells spontaneously begin to change into nerve and muscle cells as well as endothelial cells that line blood vessels. Patients are kept comfortable under general anesthesia during the treatment, and they are discharged from the hospital the same day! At the Stem Cells Transplant Institute in Costa Rica, we want to help you stay in touch with the latest advances in stem cell therapies. We believe that this is only the beginning of the development of effective, long-term solutions for a patient´s specific needs. Do not hesitate to contact us for answers to all of your questions.
