Angioplasty and stenting of atherosclerosis in the small arteries distal to the internal iliac arteries aim to offer a less invasive alternative to open surgical revascularisation to patients with arteriogenic erectile dysfunction (ED) that is refractory to standard treatments.
Under local anaesthesia and using fluoroscopic guidance, a catheter is introduced percutaneously through the femoral artery and guided into the narrowed target artery (usually the internal pudendal or common penile artery). Balloon angioplasty of the narrowed artery may be done to dilate the narrowing, or a stent may be placed across the narrowing with or without prior angioplasty.