Early Clinical Results of the Tolerability, Safety, and Efficacy of Autologous Platelet-Rich Plasma Administration in Erectile Dysfunction

Introduction: Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is useful in the treatment of different conditions and diseases as it contains concentrated levels of many growth factors. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of autologous PRP application in the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) in patients with metabolic syndrome. Methods: In this prospective study conducted in June 2019, 31 patients with ED were included. The International Index of Erectile Function-Erectile Function domain (IIEF-EF) questionnaires were used to evaluate erectile function (EF). After administering the intracavernous autologous PRP 3 times with an interval of 15 days, IIEF-EFs were evaluated 1, 3, and 6 months later. Main Outcome Measure: IIEF in the 1st, 3rd, and 6th months and adverse events. Results: While the mean IIEF-EF was 18 before the application, the mean IIEF-EF was 20 in the first, third, and sixth months after the procedure (P < .001). However, even though IIEF-EF values increased numerically, median value remained within the mild-moderate classification (scores between 17 and 21). Postprocedure sexual satisfaction scores were significantly higher than preprocedure values (8 vs 6, respectively; P 1/4 .002). In the first follow-up of a patient after the 3rd injection, a 4-mm diameter fibrotic plaque was observed on the ventral side in the middle of the penis shaft. Conclusion: In conclusion, our findings suggest that larger studies as well as placebo-controlled studies are needed to add PRP to the treatment protocol in ED. Copyright (C) 2021, The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of the International Society for Sexual Medicine.

Automated summary

This study showed that autologous PRP application in patients with metabolic syndrome and ED was effective in improving erectile function, although more large-scale and placebo-controlled studies are needed to further validate the findings.