Stents, or small mesh tubes, may help men with erectile dysfunction by opening blocked arteries and facilitating blood flow to the penis.

In a pilot trial, researchers followed 30 men with an average age of 60 years.  All of the men had had a stent placed in the pudendal artery, located in the pelvis. After 6 months, 67% of the 23 men remaining with the study had improved scores on the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF), indicating better erectile function. At one year, 84% of the 19 remaining men had better scores.

No major problems were reported.

This research was presented at the Cardiovascular Research Foundation’s Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics conference, which was held in Miami in October.  Because these findings have not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal, they are considered preliminary.

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This week, we added information about stents and erectile dysfunction treatment to the Q &A section of our website.  

Can stents help men with erectile dysfunction?

Our Q & A feature is targeted to a lay audience and covers a wide range of sexual health topics of interest to men and women. We also welcome topic suggestions at QandA@issm.info.