Erectile dysfunction: treating the cause.
It no longer works like it used to?
When the vessels are the cause: training from within.
It affects more men than you think.
It no longer works like it used to
And you talk to no one about it. Not your doctor, not your partner.
Tablets for the moment
They work, but only for a few hours. They do not change the cause.
A sign of something more?
The quiet question of whether this has something to do with the heart. Often that is exactly the right question.
Where to start?
A subject with no natural place to raise it. Here is one.
Whether you call it an erection problem, impotence, a potency problem or erectile dysfunction: studies suggest about one in five men is affected, considerably more with age. It is common, well researched and often a vascular problem.
Why heart specialists take this on.
Behind Cardio Pulse stand Die Herzspezialisten on Kurfürstendamm. The heart and the vessels are among our specialist fields.
An erection is a vascular process. That is why erectile dysfunction is often a vascular matter. Sometimes heart failure is behind it as well. That too is why we look at the heart and the vessels first.
Our approach: first establish the cause, then treat the vessels. EECP Cardio Pulse trains the vessel lining. Your erectile potential and your vascular system can both benefit from this.
How you may notice vascular erectile dysfunction.
- The erection comes more slowly or does not last
- Morning erections less often than before
- Sometimes it works, sometimes it does not, for no apparent reason
- Tablets work less well than they did at first
- Plus high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking or excess weight
- You want to know the cause, not just bridge the symptom
The cause of erectile dysfunction: how it develops.
The vessel lining
The inner layer of the vessels, the endothelium, produces nitric oxide. This messenger lets vessels widen.
The erection
When the small arteries in the erectile tissue widen, blood flows in. An erection is therefore above all a vascular response.
The damage
High blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, high blood lipids or age weaken the endothelium. It produces less nitric oxide, and the arteries do not widen enough.
The early sign
The arteries of the penis are only one to two millimetres wide, the coronary arteries three to four. The same damage therefore often shows here years earlier than in the heart.
Where EECP comes in
More blood flow and a flow stimulus on the vessel lining. The endothelium is trained and produces more nitric oxide again. Heart and erection benefit alike.
How EECP can be added to the treatment of erectile dysfunction.
The usual treatment is tablets. They widen the vessels in the erectile tissue for a few hours. For many men they work well and remain an option. EECP Cardio Pulse starts at a different point. It trains the vessel lining itself, with the aim that it produces more nitric oxide again, the messenger that widens vessels. Both can be combined.
What EECP can do for erectile dysfunction.
EECP Cardio Pulse, external counterpulsation, trains the vessel lining, session by session. More blood flow, more width, without tablets. Not for the moment, but as a foundation. The aim is a vessel lining that provides width by itself again.
Who EECP may be an option for with erectile dysfunction.
Vascular cause
Risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes or smoking and a gradual onset point to the vessels as the cause.
When tablets alone are not enough
The effect is wearing off, or you do not want to depend on tablets permanently.
Prevention for the heart
Erectile dysfunction often precedes heart disease by years. Treating the cause addresses both.
Lasting effect of EECP therapy for erectile dysfunction.
Tablets work for hours; the adaptation of the vessel lining lasts longer. After the course no further treatment is needed, and the effect can remain. How long, varies, and there are no long-term data yet.
What EECP does not do for erectile dysfunction.
If the cause does not lie in the vessels, EECP Cardio Pulse is not the right path. That applies to hormonal, neurological or psychological reasons. This is why the diagnostic work-up comes first.
How it works with us.
Your consultation takes place in a quiet one-to-one setting, not in a waiting room.
One call is enough
Tell us what it is about. Or simply that you would like to talk. +49 30 884 733 90
Cardio Check-Up
Endothelial function, vessel elasticity, cardiac ultrasound and ECG. This shows us whether EECP is an option for you.around 900 eurosunder GOÄ, one-off
The series
Around 35 sessions, one hour each. You lie down, the cuffs do the work.around 100 eurosper session, under GOÄ
Statutory health insurers do not pay.
View related research
As early as 1998, the University of Dresden treated 13 men with erectile dysfunction with EECP for one hour a day over 20 days: the men reported a clearly firmer erection, and Doppler ultrasound showed measurably higher penile blood flow. A small study. That EECP strengthens the vessel lining has since been shown in randomised trials, exactly the mechanism that matters for an erection. For erectile dysfunction, EECP remains an individual therapeutic trial on this basis.
Froschermaier SE et al. Enhanced external counterpulsation as a new treatment modality for patients with erectile dysfunction. Urol Int. 1998;61(3):168–171. PMID 9933838
Questions about EECP for erectile dysfunction.
Erectile dysfunction, what to do?
First clarify the cause, then treat. With us that means: Cardio Check-Up, then EECP Cardio Pulse as a treatment without pills if the vessels are the cause.
Isn't it just in the head?
Sometimes the mind plays a part. From 40 onwards, though, it is often the vessels. What it is in your case, we see in the Cardio Check-Up.
What if it is the heart?
Then you will know in time. Erectile problems often precede heart problems by years. That is exactly why we look at heart and vessels first.
Can EECP help me?
If the vessels are the cause, EECP Cardio Pulse addresses that cause. Whether this applies to you is shown by the Cardio Check-Up, and we will tell you honestly.
Can I continue taking tablets?
Tablets and EECP are not mutually exclusive. The tablets work for the moment, EECP Cardio Pulse works on the underlying basis. One rule applies regardless: nitrates for the heart must not be taken together with PDE-5 inhibitors, the usual erection tablets,. We discuss this in the Cardio Check-Up.
How long does it take before something changes?
In the Dresden study it was 20 sessions over four weeks. The vessel lining needs time to adapt. Our standard is 35 sessions. At the end of the course of treatment, we discuss openly what has changed.
How discreet is it?
Very. On the phone you only say that you are interested in EECP Cardio Pulse and the preliminary examination. Everything else you discuss directly with your doctor.
What does the treatment cost, and does insurance pay?
Cardio Check-Up with examination of heart and vessels around 900 euros, each session around 100 euros, under GOÄ. Statutory health insurers do not pay. If you have private health insurance, your insurer and Beihilfe (the German civil-service allowance) often reimburse the costs depending on your tariff.
General information, not a promise of cure. Whether EECP is suitable for you is something we clarify after a cardiac examination.
Prefer to write? info@die-herzspezialisten.com
Just give us a call.
We answer your questions and arrange an appointment together.
Private service under the GOÄ fee schedule: about 100 euros per session.