Efficacy of low-intensity shockwave therapy with different tadalafil regimens in patients with PDE5 inhibitor-resistant erectile dysfunction: a retrospective cohort study

In this study, a cohort of 105 patients with PDE5i-resistant ED was recruited and divided into three groups labeled as A (only LI-SWT), B (LI-SWT plus 5  mg tadalafil daily), and C (LI-SWT plus 20 mg tadalafil alternate-day), comprising 27, 42, and 36 patients, respectively. The patients' International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5) scores and the Erection Hardness Score (EHS) were evaluated at the baseline, three months and six months foll owing the treatment.ResultsAfter three months post-treatment, the IIEF-5 scores in group A, B, and C increased by 4.1  ± 0.6, 7.3 ± 0.6, and 8.2 ± 0.6, respectively. These improvements were maintained at six months with IIEF-5 scores increasing by 3.7 ± 0.6, 7.3 ± 0.6, and 8.5 ± 0.7 in groups A, B, and C, respectively. At 3 and 6 months post-treatment, groups B and C showed significan t improvement in IIEF-5 scores and EHS values compared to group A (p <  0.001). The rate of patients with EHS ≥ 3 and IIEF-5 ≥ 17 was significantly higher in groups B and C compared to group A, while there was no significantly different between groups B and C.Conclus ıonIn patients with PDE5i-resistant ED, PDE5i combined with LI-SWT is superior to LI-SWT monotherapy. The statistical analysis failed to demonstrate any difference between two distinct tadalafil regimens when administered with LI-SWT treatment.
Source: International Urology and Nephrology - Category: Urology & Nephrology Source Type: research