Introduction: To present the history of vacuum therapy for erectile dysfunction (ED) and to describe its influence on future treatment modalities for a condition that was once deemed incurable.
Methods: Literature review via PubMed was implemented to gain access to journal articles, texts and personal histories detailing the conceptualization, implementation, and success of vacuum constriction devices (VCD) for ED.
Results: References to ED date back to Greek and Roman antiquity. Throughout time, management for ED has advanced from aphrodisiacs and herbal remedies to current sophisticated diagnostic evaluations and treatment. Here we discuss the history and impact of the first FDA approved treatment for ED, the VCD.
The first mention of VCD use dates to 1874. Dr. John King described a “glass exhauster” which was placed over the penis for daily vacuum therapy. In 1917, Dr. Otto Lederer of Austria was issued a patent for a VCD; however, his results were never published in the medical literature and no commercial products were made available.
The modern-day iteration of the VCD can be credited to an auto worker from South Carolina, Geddings Osbon. Mr. Osbon was told by his physician that ED was an unfortunate and untreatable consequence of aging. Geddings refused to accept this, and using his knowledge of vacuum physics and mechanics from tire retreading, he developed a prototype for a VCD in 1960. In 1974, he founded the Youth Equivalent Company, Inc. to manufacture and distribute his VCD, which he called the “Youth Equivalent Device.” With the support of Dr. Henry Hudson, the president of the Southeastern Section of the American Urological Association (AUA), the device gained legitimacy and traction within the medical community. The first clinical study investigating the device was led by Dr. Perry Nadig at the Metropolitan Medical Center in San Antonio in 1982.
On October 5, 1982, nearly 20 years after being told there was no treatment for his ED, the FDA granted Geddings Osbon approval for his VCD. The VCD was adopted into the AUA ED guidelines in 1995 and it remained first line for non-invasive treatment of ED until the introduction of Sildenafil in 1998.
Conclusions: Vacuum therapy for ED dates as far back as the 19th century. Research shows that this treatment modality has high patient and partner overall satisfaction. For the properly selected patient, it remains an effective treatment option with a storied past.
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