Intracavernosal injection therapy for erectile dysfunction is a method in which the man injects a blood-vessel-widening medicine with a very fine needle into the side of the penis shortly before intimacy, increasing blood flow so that an erection occurs within minutes without much stimulation. It is usually used when tablets fail or are unsuitable, and its aim is to achieve an erection sufficient for intercourse when needed without surgery.
Treatment starts with a clinic session in which the doctor finds the right medicine and dose with a test injection, observes the response and its duration, then trains the patient to self-inject sterilely at the correct site. No anaesthesia is needed, as the needle is very thin and the prick is minor.
The assessment and training visit usually takes one to two hours, requires no hospital stay, and normal life resumes at once. Treatment is then used at home at the dose and frequency allowed. The response is usually clear from the first test session or after dose adjustment at a later visit.
The final cost is set after a medical consultant reviews your case and photos.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zülfü Sertkaya is an Istanbul urologist who focuses on andrology. He graduated from Gazi University Faculty of Medicine in 2008, completed his urology residency at Haydarpaşa Numune Training and Research Hospital in 2014, and holds the FEBU title (2017). He worked at state, university and private hospitals, including Memorial Diyarbakır and Başakşehir Çam and Sakura City Hospital. Since 2022 he has run his own clinic in Zeytinburnu, focusing on penile prosthesis, Peyronie's disease, premature ejaculation and male infertility.
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It acts quickly and reliably in many men for whom tablets did not work, needs no surgery, and relies on the locally injected medicine rather than on stimulation alone.
Men with erectile dysfunction not helped by tablets, or for whom tablets are not allowed, including men with diabetes or after pelvic surgery, following a medical assessment.
The doctor reviews your health history and medicines and may request tests. Never stop any medicine, such as blood thinners, on your own; only the doctor decides.
After cleaning the skin, the medicine is injected with a fine needle into the side of the shaft away from visible veins, light pressure is applied, and an erection usually starts within five to twenty minutes.
Most men feel only a slight prick; some medicines can cause an aching or burning feeling in the penis, which is usually brief.
No recovery is needed, but you should never exceed the dose or frequency set by your doctor.
Each injection works within minutes and lasts a limited time. It is an on-demand treatment that does not cure the underlying cause, and the dose may need adjusting over time.
The main one is a prolonged painful erection (priapism), an emergency requiring medical care if an erection lasts more than four hours; others are local bruising, pain, and scarring or curvature with long-term use. No result can be guaranteed.
Only on explicit advice from your doctor, because combining them can raise the risk of a prolonged erection or low blood pressure.
You can travel right after the training session, but staying a few days for a follow-up visit to adjust the dose if needed is preferable; your doctor confirms this.
