Vascular Surgery for Erectile Dysfunction

Abstract

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is common and potentially devastating. Men often complain that although the various modalities of treatment are potentially effective, they are not “natural” because they require assistance from a pill, injection, or device and do not allow for the same level of spontaneity that was previously enjoyed. Rather than symptom management, men desire a cure. With the exception of reversible endocrinopathies, no other available treatments address this fundamental desire. Because ED often has a vascular component, it is reasonable that practitioners have tried to develop surgical methods to re-establish penile vascular integrity. This chapter reviews penile vascular anatomy and arteriogenic and venogenic causes of ED. It then reviews various means of evaluation as well as surgical approaches and their associated outcomes and complications.