…little more than an ice pack.
With a ischemic priapism, blood flows into the penis but doesn’t flow out. The loss of circulation deprives the corpora cavernosa of oxygen and causes a painful, rigid erection. If left untreated, the loss of oxygen can damage erectile tissues, cause the formation of scar tissue, and lead to a permanent loss of function.
How Is It Treated?
The first treatment for ischemic priapism is “therapeutic aspiration.” The urologist sticks a needle into the side of the penis and draws blood directly from the cavernosa. The same needle is sometimes used to inject saline solution into the penis, which can help flush out the remaining blood. Aspiration and irrigation work around 25 percent to 30 percent of the time. Doctors can also inject drugs that constrict the arteries and cut off penile blood flow. Injections are given every few minutes for about an hour.
In rare cases, an intractable erection will resist both aspiration and drug injections. In this case, the urologist performs a surgical shunt. The simplest type of shunt involves cutting a small hole in the head of the penis, then opening oval windows in the tips of the cavernosa. When the surface incision is closed, the blood trapped in the erectile tissue drains out through the unaffected penile veins. A more involved shunt procedure involves cutting a nearby but unrelated vein and attaching one end of it to the base of the penis.