Hi guys,
I'd like to make a few points about the conditions that I think we might be suffering.
Scar Tissue, Nerve Damage, or Suspensory Ligament
1.Our condition (far from being detectable) seems to be scar tissue, either in the erectile bodies, or of the tunica caused by vague trauma (Penis Enlargement exercises, excessive masturbating, sex injury). Some people have then postulated nerve damage, because the sensation is less. I think the sensation is less perhaps because the erection is not stable, rather than nerve damage. Some of you have also pointed to a sensation of coldness. I think it could actually be colder, rather than just feeling colder.
Someone told me that it is simply damage to the suspensory ligament and gave me the following. Whilst damage to such a ligament would cause E.D., it wouldn't account for some of the other things we are experiencing, such as firm flaccidness, temperature change. Also, for some of us, the pumping mechanism of injury does not square with such damage. This is more probably relevant who damaged their penis by a penis fracture or sex injury - some sort of bending of the erection.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/62355.php
If scar tissue is the cause, we may have something in common with people with Peyronie's, except whereas their scar tissue is focalised and a plaque, our fibrosis is diffuse and throughout the cavernosa. Please read the following
http://www.peyroniesforum.net/index.php/topic,580.msg10635.html#msg10635
for an excellent discussion of the such similarities.
There has been a fair amount of research done on the matter, and whilst it is informative, it lacks depth. Here is a link that documents basically the entire research done in the field of scar tissue in the penis:
http://lib.bioinfo.pl/meid:72935 . It will save you a lot of time if you want to know what's been researched. These are no doubt, the greatest minds in the planet on the topic of E.D.
If such scar tissues is present, then our smooth tissue is prevented from contracting properly (hence it appears firmer than usual in flaccid state) and ALSO from relaxing properly which prevents proper erectile function. I still don't know why this sort of thing can't be detected. Or maybe it can...
Biopsy - Is this THE diagnostic tool?
A lot of us have gone through a lot of tests - Doppler US, Caverject, NPT, and the very painful cavernosagram (I do not recommend this based on some of the other members' experience). None of these are apt to show whether E.D. is present and in fact have a problem. IN fact, they do more harm than good, because it reinforces to the doctor that we don't have a problem. This is not the correct conclusion. If we fail one of these tests, then we definately do have a problem. But just becasue we pass them does not mean we are 100% normal. A lot of doctors I have seen use positive results on the test to say that it is psychological.
Michele, have you tried this yet?
IN contrast, I think we need more powerful diagnostic equipment and that we have such equipment at hand - the biopsy. It can determine the structure of the penis (e.g. % of smooth muscle etc) and to compare it to a normal person. This will tell us exactly about the scar tissue etc I was referring to becasue it is evidenced as collagen or fibrin. Here is a link that explains the usefulness of the biopsy test
http://www.current-reports.com/article.cfm?PubID=SH01-2-1-01&Type=Article&KeyWords=
My question is has anyone ever tried this, or even know if they can try it. I don't think we have this in Australia. other members believe it to be unsafe and to actually cause further fibrosis, but I don't think it would cause more than injectables.... I think if we took this test, it could give us the right diagnostics. Opinions, anyone?
Gene Therapy. Tissue Engineering and other cures?
Lastly, I still believe Science is on our side. They are constantly developing new methods of stimualting erection. Here are some of the options currently available, and others on the horizon
1. Injectables - inject hormones that stimulate erection. I personally responded well to PGE-1 two weeks after injury, but not sure if I would at this point in time. Alpostridil TD cream is the same thing, but hte mechanism of absorption is via a cream rather than a needle, as is MUSE.
2. PDE-5s/Pills/Viagra - inhibit PDE-5 which allows for greater creation of NO
3. Gene Therapy ( 5 years away from commercial viability) - inserts a gene which tells the smooth tissue to allow more Potassium Ion Channels to open. The overexpression of these ions stimulate erections. This is a major advance and I personally believe this will work with Cialis.
4. Tissue Engineering (Attala has shown a working prototype at least for Rabbits) but is decades off.... unless of course, someone will fund it. Here, I believe the technology is pretty much there, but it is not economical to begin research because even if they could create new penises (they can actually clone people ffs, why is this so difficult?), they won't because the few people who need this sort of procedure (us) could not afford the 100,000 it would cost, and I doubt our insurances would cover it.
For all of those of you who are having somewhat darker thoughts, I believe you should be at least patient because gene therapy is fairly novel.
I invite discussion on anything I just said.
Regards,
