VACUUM ERECTION DEVICE IN SPINAL-CORD INJURED MEN - PATIENT AND PARTNER SATISFACTION

Objective: To assess the efficacy of and patient and partner satisfact ion with a vacuum erection device (VED) to treat erectile dysfunction of spinal cord injury. Design: Case series. Setting: University hospit al outpatient clinic. Patients: Twenty spinal cord injured men with er ectile dysfunction and their heterosexual partners, recruited from out patient population and by advertisement. Intervention: Use of a VED to obtain erections for sexual activity. Main Outcome Measures: Efficacy in obtaining adequate penile erection, and patient and partner satisf action with the device (survey). Results: At 3 months, 93% of the men and 83% of the women reported rigidity sufficient for vaginal penetrat ion, with an average duration of 18 minutes. These numbers decreased s omewhat at the B-month control. At 6 months, 41% of the men and 45% of the women were satisfied with the device, with premature loss of rigi dity during intercourse the most commonly reported complaint. Sixty pe rcent of men and 42% of women indicated an improvement of the sexual r elationship. Minor side effects, such as petechiae and penile skin ede ma, occurred frequently, but then were no complications that required treatment. Conclusion: The VED is effective in many couples in the tre atment of erectile dysfunction associated with spinal cord injury. The devices were not universally accepted, but had a significant impact o n sexual activity and sexual satisfaction for nearly half the couples. Vacuum erection devices should be presented to SCI men along with oth er options for treatment of erectile dysfunction. (C) 1996 by the Amer ican Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Academy of P hysical Medicine and Rehabilitation.