The role of surgical therapy in the management of premature ejaculation: a narrative review

Background and Objective

Premature ejaculation (PE) is a common sexual disorder among male adults and negatively impacts a man's sexual life. Currently, the mainstay treatment of PE is still medical therapy which has drawbacks among patients as a consequence of side effects. Despite the new definitions, the evolution of medical therapy, and the consensus for the management of PE, it remains challenging to treat for many clinicians especially when medical treatment fails. However, the International Society for Sexual Medicine (ISSM) and the American Urological Association (AUA) guidelines ignored surgical therapy due to conflicting medical reports and doubts about the safety of surgical management. This article discusses the surgical management of PE based on recent guidelines, reviews, and evolving techniques.

Methods

We reviewed the literature using PubMed and searched for the following keywords: premature ejaculation, selective dorsal neurectomy, hyaluronic acid, dorsal nerve neuromodulation, cryo-ablation of the dorsal nerve and inner condom technique until May 2023. Seventeen studies were found.

Key Content and Findings

Even though the widespread use of many surgical modalities in Asia such as glans penis augmentation (GPA) using hyaluronic acid (HA) selective dorsal neurectomy (SDN), cryo-ablation of the dorsal nerve, neuromodulation of the dorsal nerve (NMDN), and circumcision are still considered as controversial for the guidelines.

Conclusions

The mainstay treatment of PE is still pharmaceutical. However, the current body of evidence on surgical treatments for PE is limited. Men considering surgical therapy for PE should be counseled well for the risks and benefits as there may be chronic disabilities. Further, well-designed trials are needed to establish safety and efficacy for the surgical treatment.

Advantages and limitations of current premature ejaculation assessment and diagnostic methods: a review

Premature ejaculation (PE) is the most common male sexual dysfunction worldwide. Characteristic symptoms of PE are unexpected, rapid, complete ejaculation, which negatively impacts the sexual act for both sexual partners. Despite the existence of a definitive PE classification system and various diagnostic tools, diagnosing PE is still challenging due to the limitations associated with the assessment of this condition. Hence, it is necessary to review the diagnostic methods and processes of the physical examination that are currently performed in the medical setting. It is also important to analyze any controversial results of each main PE assessment method and propose novel diagnostic and assessment methods. To date, it is important to verify the accuracy of the PE evaluation method due to the ambiguity of previous definitions and proven invalidity of current examining techniques. Clinical diagnosis is based mainly on the patient history, patient-reported outcome scores, and diagnostic tools. Introduction of intravaginal ejaculatory latency time, penile biothesiometry, and the electrophysiological test provided objective means of evaluating PE. Due to the controversial and inconclusive findings in PE psychogenic and neurogenic etiology, utilizing a single parameter to describe and qualify PE using the aforementioned diagnostic methods provides valuable, but insufficient information for PE diagnosis. There is still a lack of a feasible and plausible means of objective measurement to evaluate the ejaculatory latency and control over ejaculation. Consequently, a comprehensive penile stimulation that simulates sexual intercourse could be useful to record intensity and duration parameters before the ejaculatory threshold, providing a more accurate method of describing and diagnosing PE versus a single chronological observation.

Ejaculatory dysfunction-the evolution of a new understanding

As long as man has breathed, his fascination, pursuit and quest for the perfect sexual experience have remained one of his principal raisons d’être. After thousands of years, millions of words and pictures, and billions of attempts, he still often finds the goal largely unobtainable. Until recently, our understanding of premature ejaculation (PE) was an eclectic mix and homogenization of ancient historical and culturally diverse influences. However, recent basic and clinical research has resulted in a new understanding and a paradigm shift in the way we classify, define, evaluate, diagnose and treat PE.

Is there a place for surgical treatment of premature ejaculation?

Management of premature ejaculation (PE) has evolved tremandoulsy over the last 20 years. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants and local anesthetics are the most and best studied treatments. This evidence has led to the establishment of an evidence-based definition of PE and the International Society for Sexual Medicine (ISSM) guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of PE. The current treatment of choice for PE according to the ISSM guidelines is a centrally acting SSRI or peripherally acting topical anesthetics. Despite the progress in threating PE, the drawbacks of these medical treatments are controversial. Before the ISSM guidelines were established, selective dorsal neurectomy (SDN) and glans penis augmentation (GPA) using a hyaluronic acid (HA) gel were developed to decrease sensitivity of the glans penis but later ISSM guidelines do not recommend surgical treatment because of possible permanent loss of sexual function and insufficient reliable data. Despite the drawbacks of medical treatments and debates about the ISSM guideline, surgical treatment for PE has increased continuously in Asian countries for non-responders to medical treatment. In contrast to the concerns outlined in the ISSM guidelines, SDN has been reported as effective and safe with rare sensory loss. Percutaneous computed tomography-guided cryoablation of the dorsal penile nerve and neuromodulation of the dorsal penile nerve by pulsed radiofrequency are reported as effective and safe for PE. It is time to re-evaluate rather than ignore surgical treatments for PE because doctors and patients need surgical alternatives for patients with PE who are not satisfied with medical treatment. SDN has a definite role in the efficacy but needs more safety data to be used as standard surgical treatment for PE. SDN must be performed carefully and more well-designed studies are needed. GPA with a HA gel does not induce serious sensory loss in patients with ED erectile dysfunction and the recommendation should be re-evaluated by the ISSM after additional reliable studies are performed.

Surgery is not indicated for the treatment of premature ejaculation

Premature ejaculation (PE) is considered the most common male sexual disorder, affecting up to 75% of men at some point in their lives. While medical management is the mainstay of therapy, surgical options such as dorsal nerve neurectomy (DNN), hyaluronic acid (HA) gel glans penis augmentation, and circumcision have been studied as alternative forms of treatment. Preliminary studies have suggested that DNN and HA gel glans penis augmentation are relatively safe and effective, but due to a lack of large, multicenter, randomized-control trials with long-term follow-up, the International Society of Sexual Medicine (ISSM) has been unable to endorse DNN or HA gel glans penis augmentation as options in the treatment of PE. Conflicting data regarding the efficacy and safety of circumcision has similarly led to its exclusion from ISSM recommendations for the treatment of PE. Ethical concerns, particularly the fundamental concept of non-maleficence, are also barriers to the implementation of surgery for PE.

Psychosexual therapy for premature ejaculation

Premature ejaculation (PE) is a male sexual dysfunction that creates considerable anguish for the man, his partner and their relationship. PE is not one disorder but includes the four subtypes (lifelong, acquired, natural and subjective) each with unique psychological concerns and issues. Psychological treatment for men and couples with PE addresses sexual skills/techniques but also focuses on issues of self-esteem, performance anxiety and interpersonal conflict. The outcome studies for psychotherapy alone are difficult to interpret and compare because of poor methodological design (lack of control groups, small sample size, poor outcome measures and lack of follow-up). However, the few studies that surmount these methodological hurdles suggest that psychological intervention offers men and couples a promising treatment option. Combination pharmaco- and psychotherapy is the most promising intervention for lifelong and acquired PE and offers superior efficacy to drug alone. This is because men and couples learn sexual skills, address the intrapsychic, interpersonal and cognitive issues that precipitate and maintain the dysfunction.

Emerging and investigational drugs for premature ejaculation

Over the past 20−30 years, the premature ejaculation (PE) treatment paradigm, previously limited to behavioural psychotherapy, has expanded to include drug treatment. Pharmacotherapy for PE predominantly targets the multiple neurotransmitters and receptors involved in the control of ejaculation which include serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin, norepinephrine, gamma amino-butyric acid (GABA) and nitric oxide (NO). The objective of this article is to review emerging PE interventions contemporary data on the treatment of PE was reviewed and critiqued using the principles of evidence-based medicine. Multiple well-controlled evidence-based studies have demonstrated the efficacy and safety of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in delaying ejaculation, confirming their role as first-line agents for the medical treatment of lifelong and acquired PE. Daily dosing of SSRIs is likely to be associated with superior fold increases in IELT compared to on-demand SSRIs. On-demand SSRIs are less effective but may fulfill the treatment goals of many patients. Integrated pharmacotherapy and CBT may achieve superior treatment outcomes in some patients. PDE-5 inhibitors alone or in combination with SSRIs should be limited to men with acquired PE secondary to co-morbid ED. New on-demand rapid acting SSRIs, oxytocin receptor antagonists, or single agents that target multiple receptors may form the foundation of more effective future on-demand medication. Current evidence confirms the efficacy and safety of dapoxetine, off-label SSRI drugs, tramadol and topical anaesthetics drugs. Treatment with α1-adrenoceptor antagonists cannot be recommended until the results of large well-designed RCTs are published in major international peer-reviewed medical journals. As our understanding of the neurochemical control of ejaculation improves, new therapeutic targets and candidate molecules will be identified which may increase our pharmacotherapeutic armamentarium.

The drug treatment of premature ejaculation

The management recommendation for both acquired premature ejaculation (APE) and lifelong PE (LPE) are similar, such as a behavioral/psychotherapy, a pharmacotherapy and a combination of these treatments. For the drug treatment for PE, gold standard is selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) including dapoxetine or paroxetine. The drug treatment for PE is still developing and some new promising therapeutic options have been proposed. Topical anesthetics, tramadol, and alpha-1 blockers will be the next strategies of the drug treatment for PE in the future.