ESWT, also known as shock wave therapy in Turkish, is a new generation form of treatment in which ultrasonic sound waves generated outside the body are converted into energy at the treatment level and applied as shock waves to the body area where the disease is located, through a special head, and does not disrupt tissue integrity. By stimulating the vessels at the tissue level and the stem and mature cells around them, microtraumas that enhance healing and regeneration are created.
The place of ESWT in Urology
ESWT is currently used in 3 main diseases in urology, in the light of the studies carried out.
- Erectile dysfunction: (Erectile dysfunction) is a disease that is seen as the inability to erect the penis and is generally accompanied by hormonal and anatomical disorders.
- Peyronie’s disease: It is a progressive disease that causes penis deformity, painful erection and penile curvature due to fibrotic plaques formed in the penis.
- Chronic prostatitis: In the new classification made today, its name is “Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome”. It is a disease whose treatment protocol is not very clear, especially in the genital area, accompanied by complaints of intermittent urination, frequent urination and burning sensation during urination. It is diagnosed very late because it is often confused with BPH (prostate disease).
Today, ESWT is included as the first line treatment in the Guidebooks of the European Association of Urology.
How Does ESWT Treatment Work?
As a result of the microtraumas created by ultrasonic shock waves, mature and stem cells, which are responsible for forming new vessels and tissue in the area where the disease occurs, increase the blood supply of the area and provide a permanent improvement at the tissue level. Veins are organs that secrete hormones and have their own pressure sensors. They protect their structures by creating natural bypasses in case of defects in their structures. ESWT shock waves act by reactivating these features of these vessels and tissues, which cannot renew their structures, at a very high level.
Is there any use of ESWT Treatment outside of Urology?
ESWT offers a new treatment protocol for chronic and difficult-to-solve diseases not only in Urology but also in other branches of medicine. It is also used in orthopedics for frozen shoulder, heel spurs and synovitis, in physical therapy for dorsalgia and other painful muscle diseases, and in cardiology for coronary diseases.
How is ESWT Treatment Done?
1 cure of ESWT treatment consists of 6 sessions. (In the world literature, at least 12 sessions are recommended for patients with severe erectile dysfunction and Peyronie’s disease.) The treatment protocol is usually completed within 3 weeks, with 2 sessions per week, with the coordination of the doctor and the patient. Sessions can be done every day and 1 cure can be completed in 6 days. Sessions last about 15-20 minutes. No hospitalization or anesthesia is required. The procedure is a painless, regional treatment that uses an external ultrasonic head to the genital area.
What are the Advantages of ESWT Treatment?
In ESWT treatment, the patient receives outpatient treatment without being hospitalized and after the sessions, they can continue their daily work without any problems. The biggest convenience for patients in terms of compliance with the treatment is that it offers a new generation treatment that is painless and does not require anesthesia. There are no specific side effects reported so far in studies conducted with ESWT. Studies have shown that it is more successful than all other treatment protocols in these areas.
In Which Diseases/Situations Is ESWT Not Applied?
It is not recommended for use in skin or soft tissue cancers involving the penile area, in diseases that cause bleeding disorders that may cause subcutaneous bleeding, and in patients who have prosthesis application (happiness bar) as a result of penile surgery.
When Does the Patient Notice Its Effect?
The healing process or duration of each patient differs from each other. The effects generally begin to be seen within 1 month after the end of the sessions, and the process continues increasingly until new vessels are fully formed and tissue integrity and permanence are achieved.
