When erectile dysfunction (ED) patients can no longer achieve satisfactory improvement with medication alone, both physicians and patients are searching for more fundamental, long-lasting solutions. This is the key opportunity for LIPUS (Low-Intensity Pulsed Ultrasound) to shine.

Is LIPUS in competition with traditional drug treatments (PDE5 inhibitors), or do they work synergistically? This article provides the answer.

Advantages and Limitations of PDE5i Drugs

Since the introduction of sildenafil (Viagra) in 1998, PDE5i drugs have become the first choice for ED treatment.

Advantages:

1、Rapid onset, effects within 30-60 minutes after taking

2、Non-invasive, convenient to use

3、Suitable for symptomatic improvement

Limitations:

1、Limited effectiveness for diabetes, post-surgery, or neurogenic ED

2、Side effects such as headaches, flushing, and indigestion

3、Not a cure, only temporarily increases blood flow rather than "repairing the underlying pathology"

4、30–50% of patients are unresponsive to PDE5i

LIPUS: Fundamental Repair and Activation of Regeneration

Unlike drugs, LIPUS is not a chemical stimulus, but a "cell activation" technique using micro-energy. It induces cell repair through mechanical force, reversing ED at the pathological level.

Core Mechanism:

1、Activates growth factors such as VEGF, eNOS, and nNOS to promote angiogenesis and nerve regeneration

2、Improves the structure of smooth muscle and elastic fibers in the corpora cavernosa, combating fibrosis

3、Awakens endogenous stem cells to induce self-repair of tissues

4、Clinical Data: LIPUS has been shown to effectively increase IIEF-5 and EHS within 4–12 weeks, with some patients even regaining natural erections.

Synergistic Treatment Effect: 1+1>2

According to multiple studies and consensus guidelines, combining LIPUS with PDE5i shows a higher response rate in "severe ED" patients.

Specific Effects:

1、LIPUS can make patients who were previously unresponsive to PDE5i respond to the drug again

2、For patients with organic ED such as diabetes and hypertension, combination therapy significantly improves the success rate of sexual activity

3、A domestic follow-up study showed that 55% of patients who were unresponsive to PDE5i regained drug efficacy after LIPUS treatment

This indicates that LIPUS is not just an alternative option, but an "empowering adjunctive therapy" that rebuilds the fundamental structure of the corpora cavernosa, enhancing the effects of the medication.

Clinical Application Suggested Roadmap

Innovative Research on Wanboli LIPUS

WBL Medical Group deeply practices the "integrative innovation concept" proposed by Academician Guo Yinglu. Under the guidance and strong promotion of Academician Guo, the development of WBL LIPUS technology has been carried out in collaboration with Professor Fu-Tai Lü and Professor Gui-Ting Lin from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and Professor Zhong-Cheng Xin’s team from Peking University First Hospital. After years of multinational collaborative research, the optimal parameter combination for WBL LIPUS treatment was identified, including frequency, pulse intensity, and emission mode, establishing a complete theoretical mechanism and technical platform.At the same time, Professor Shu-Jie Xia and Professor Zheng Li from the First People's Hospital of Shanghai Jiao Tong University led the first domestic multi-center, randomized controlled clinical study on WBLi LIPUS, systematically validating its effectiveness and safety in functional rehabilitation under different treatment frequencies. This provided strong support for the standardized promotion and guideline formulation of this technology.

Technical Principles of Wanboli LIPUS Treatment for ED

The core mechanism of Wanboli LIPUS is the use of low-energy pulsed ultrasound (sound intensity range 50-350mW/CM²) to act on the penile corpus cavernosum tissue, activating endogenous stem cells, promoting angiogenesis and nerve regeneration, and repairing damaged endothelial and neural matrices. This improves erectile function at the pathological level. Compared with traditional oral medications (e.g., PDE5 inhibitors), prosthesis implantation, or invasive therapies (e.g., intracavernous injection), LIPUS, as a safe, non-invasive treatment, does not cause drug dependence, related side effects, or surgery-related complications.

LIPUS: Not a Rival to Medications, But a Step Forward in Medical Advancement

Contemporary medicine has broken through the limitations of "either-or" approaches, creating multidimensional integrated solutions. Medications provide symptomatic relief through rapid metabolic regulation, creating conditions for tissue repair. LIPUS technology, on the other hand, uses low-intensity pulsed ultrasound to promote deep tissue repair and functional reconstruction. Together, they form a treatment loop. This synergistic model achieves a qualitative shift from temporary functional improvement to structural rehabilitation, creating personalized, stepwise plans through precise evaluation, ultimately achieving clinical cure.

References:

"Progress in the Study of Mechanical Force-Induced Activation of Endogenous Stem Cells for the Treatment of Erectile Dysfunction" Writing Group, published in July 14, 2020, Chinese Medical Journal, Volume 100, Issue 26.

"Chinese Expert Consensus on Low-Intensity Pulsed Ultrasound (LIPUS) for the Treatment of Erectile Dysfunction," Writing Group, published in 2024, Chinese Journal of Andrology, Volume 38, Issue 1, 2024.

"Chinese Expert Consensus on Low-Intensity Extracorporeal Shockwave/Pulsed Ultrasound for Erectile Dysfunction" Writing Group.

Advisors:

Hui Jiang (Peking University First Hospital)

Yutian Dai (Nanjing University Medical School Affiliated Gulou Hospital Urology Department)

Huizhi Zhou (Fujian Medical University First Affiliated Hospital Urology and Sexual Medicine Department)

Xiansheng Zhang (Anhui Medical University First Affiliated Hospital Urology Department)

Team Leaders:

Xiangsheng Zhang (Henan Provincial People's Hospital Urology and Energy Medicine Department)

Deputy Leaders (Alphabetical Order):

Tao Jiang (Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University Urology and Sexual Medicine Department)

Mujun Lu (Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Urology Department)

Yanfeng Li (Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Urology Department)

Members (Alphabetical Order):

Junhong Deng (First People's Hospital of Guangzhou Urology Department)

Qifeng Dou (First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University Urology Department)

Liang Feng (First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University Urology Department)

Ninghan Feng (Second People's Hospital of Wuxi Urology Department)

Leye He (Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University Urology Department)

Jianxin Hu (Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital Urology Department)

Heping Hu (First People's Hospital of Zhengzhou Urology Department)

Xinjun Su (Central South Hospital, Wuhan University Urology Department)

Yaxuan Wang (Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University Urology Department)

Mingzhen Yuan (Shandong Provincial Hospital Urology Department)

Fenghai Zhou (Gansu Provincial People's Hospital Urology Department)

Yongwei Zhao (Taian Central Hospital Urology and Andrology Department)

Secretary (Author):

Xin Chen (Henan Provincial People's Hospital Urology and Energy Medicine Department)