Erectile dysfunction: Ian Botham bats for Linear Shock Therapy

Never one to tread softly, Sir Ian Botham did some hard talking earlier this month. The cricket legend revealed he has been undergoing therapy for impotence, as a preemptive strategy for the possible flagging years ahead. He simultaneously urged other men to be proactive in seeking treatment and singled out for mention the treatment that seems to be working for him — linear shock therapy.

Does LST work for everyone?
Linear Shock Therapy (LST) works by sending shockwaves to four areas of the groin and penis to increase blood supply to the region. Dr Anup Ramani, urooncological robotic surgeon at Mumbai’s Lilavati and Breach Candy hospitals, says that while in India one in five men suffer from ED, this number increases with age. Sadly, he says that LST only works on a few men suffering from erectile dysfunction, “This new treatment only works in patients who have ED as a result of reduced blood flow to the organ. It does not work for other causes. It works best for mild ED which has been detected early and works much better for non-smokers.”

However, according to Dr JG Lalmalani, consultant urologist at Hinduja Healthcare Surgical, Khar, Mumbai, the machine used for LST has been in existence in India since 1984, primarily used to break kidney stones instead of stimulating the nether regions. “With a smaller applicator and much lower energy levels, the shock waves applied on the penis cause vascular regeneration. There was only one such specialised unit functioning at the Asha Parekh Hospital (Mumbai). Unfortunately, this centre has closed down with the closure of the hospital.”

Treatment to suit the patient
Dr Sachin Pahade, urologist at Mumbai’s SRV Hospital, who sees 20-25 patients every month with ED says that the results of LST are promising but still inconclusive. “Short-term results are encouraging, long-term results to be known.” However, while all doctors agree that each case has to be treated according to the person, before LST makes its way into mainstream medical treatment in India, Dr Ramani says that there are alternate solutions. “At the moment, the best treatment depends on the cause and the spectrum of treatment ranges from oral medications (e.g. Viagra), injections (e.g. caverject) and penile implants.”.

Who is at risk?
India has been dubbed as the impotence capital of the world because of the predominance of lifestyle diseases. Most men hesitate to consult a doctor out of embarrassment. Of late however, with increasing awareness and access to information, men are more open to seek professional help for ED. Those who are likely to suffer from ED are those who have diabetes, atherosclerosis, hypertension, renal failure, hypercholesterolemia, smoking or cirrhosis.