VED: New Knowledge
A VED uses negative pressure to distend the corporal sinusoids
and to increase blood inflow to the penis. It was first approved by the FDA in
1982 [Lewis and Witherington, 1997]. and recommended as one of the alternatives
for organic ED by the AUA in 1996 [Montague et al. 1996]. However, it was not a very
popular treatment for ED until the concept of penile rehabilitation was
introduced into the urology practice. Recent study showed that it has been the
second most commonly used method for penile rehabilitation after radical
prostatectomy according to the 2011 AUA survey [Tal et
al. 2011]. However,
the mechanism of VED therapy for ED after radical prostatectomy was not clear.
Recent studies with the use of a unique animal model and a newly designed VED
for rats clarified the mechanism of vacuum therapy for penile rehabilitation
after radical prostatectomy. By mimicking the clinical use of VED, scientists
designed a rat-specific VED based on rat anatomy and the principle of the human
VED. The studies demonstrated that VED therapy preserves erectile function
through antihypoxic, antiapoptotic and antifibrotic mechanisms by improving the
arterial blood flow into the penis [Lin et al. 2013; Yuan et
al. 2009, 2010a,
2010b]. This scientific evidence indeed motivated physicians' recommendation
and improved patients' compliance with the use of VED therapy after prostate
cancer treatment.
