FUNCTIONAL ELECTROMYOSTIMULATION OF THE C ORPUS CAVERNOSUM PENIS (FEMCC) - A NEW THERAPEUTIC OPTION FOR ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION

Transcutaneous application of low-frequency electric current in the tr eatment of partially or temporarily denervated striated muscles is wid ely used to prevent or treat muscular atrophy. Due to the high regener ative capacity of smooth muscle cells, this approach should be benefic ial in the treatment of diseases with smooth muscle degeneration due t o partial denervation. Our study was done to evaluate the possible ben eficial effect of transcutaneous application of low-frequency electric current to the corpus cavernosum penis in the treatment of erectile d ysfunction. After a comprehensive work-up, 22 patients with chronic er ectile dysfunction (21/22 vasoactive non-responders) received daily (3 -5 x 20 min) transcutaneous functional electromyostimulation of the co rpus cavernosum smooth muscles (FEMCC; zero line symmetric impulses of trapezoid shape, two-channel device with alternating stimulations, f = 10-20 Hz for channel I and 20-35 Hz for channel II; t(i) = 100-2000 mu s, approx. 12 mA, rise time 0.5 s, stimulation time 5 s per channel , interval between stimulations 0.5 s). Five of 22 patients (23 %) reg ained full spontaneous erections and another three (14 %) responded to vasoactive drugs after FEMCC. Fourteen were FEMCC failures, including two who subjectively 'improved'. In a similar group of patients evalu ated during the same period but receiving no therapy, no spontaneous i mprovement of the erectile function was observed. Our preliminary resu lts suggest that FEMCC is feasible and results in an improvement of th e erectile capacity in a significant proportion (37 %) of patients. Fu rther studies will be carried out to corroborate our results, to impro ve stimulation parameters and to evaluate selection criteria for FEMCC .