title: Does pentoxifylline enhance the recovery of erectile function after a T-shunt procedure for prolonged ischaemic priapism? A prospective randomised controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the role of oral pentoxifylline for enhancing the recovery of erectile function (EF) in patients who had a T-shunt, a technically simple procedure for treating prolonged ischaemic priapism, as the recovery of EF has been reported in many patients treated by this procedure.
  
  
  METHODS
  This prospective randomised study was conducted on 40 patients with prolonged ischaemic priapism treated with a T-shunt. Patients were randomly divided into two groups; group A received oral pentoxifylline from the second day after surgery for 3 months, and group B received placebo. Patients were followed for 18 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The pain resolved in all patients, and EF recovered in 15 patients in group A and 10 in group B within 3 months. All patients but three had recovery of EF within the 18-month follow-up. Six patients had recovery of EF by using on-demand 50 mg sildenafil. The three patients who did not recover EF had a penile prosthesis implanted after the end of the study.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pentoxifylline had no significant effect on the recovery of EF after a T-shunt procedure, but a larger study (double-blinded) is required for a more accurate assessment of any beneficial effect of pentoxifylline after a T-shunt procedure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
authors.forename: Abdel-Rahman
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Zahran
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
authors.forename: Hussein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Abdel Daiem
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Youssif
keywords: ED, erectile dysfunction; EF, erectile function; Erectile function; IP, ischaemic priapism; Ischaemic priapism; PDU, power Doppler ultrasonography; SHIM, Sexual Health Inventory for Men; T-shunt