Surgical Treatment for Sleep Apnea May Be More Effective for Erectile Dysfunction Than Non-surgical Treatment
Korean researchers have found that surgical treatment for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) may be more effective in improving erectile function than nonsurgical treatments.
Their pilot study involved 56 men over age 20 who had been diagnosed with sleep apnea. Thirty of the men had uvulopalatopharyngoploasty (UPPP), a surgical procedure that widens the airway by removing excess tissue from the back of the throat. The rest of the men had non-surgical treatment: continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP - 16 men) and mandibular advancement devices (MADs - 10 men).
Before treatment and again four to nine months later, each participant completed three questionnaires related to sexual function and quality of life.
The men who underwent UPPP had significant improvement in erectile function when compared to the men who had non-surgical treatments. All of the participants had improved in quality of life scores after treatment.
Men with large neck circumferences and “pronounced complaints” of ED also had good results.
The authors acknowledged that their study group was small.
“[It] should be considered that OSAS is a potential major risk factor of ED and this ED could be reversed by treating OSAS. Further well-designed studies with large scale are mandatory to clarify these supports,” they wrote.
The study was published online in The Journal of Sexual Medicine at the end of March. Click here for more details.
New Research: Standard Operating Procedures for Neurophysiologic Assessment of Male Sexual Dysfunction
A new Research Summary has been posted to the ISSM website. "Standard Operating Procedures for Neurophysiologic Assessment of Male Sexual Dysfunction" by Francois Giuliano MD, PhD and David L. Rowland, PhD was published online in The Journal of Sexual Medicine in April.
The study explains and comments on various neurophysiologic assessment procedures for erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation, including the following:
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Bulbocarvernosus Reflex (BCR) Latency Time
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Pudendal Somatosensory Evoked Potentials (P-SSEPs)
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Sympathetic Skin Response (SSR)
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Corpus Cavernosum Electromyography (CC-EMG)
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Penile Sensitivity
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Other Components of the Penile Sensory Pathways
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Reflex Motor Pathways
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Disturbance of Central Serotonergic Neurotransmission
Please click here to learn more about this study.
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