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Also known as
Penile Vibratory Stimulation (PVS), Vibroejaculation
Definition
Penile vibratory stimulation (PVS) is an office procedure that is painless and requires no anesthetic or sedation. A specially designed mechanical vibrator is placed at the base of the glans penis and it is set a certain frequency and amplitude. Men with an intact ejaculatory reflex arc, which is dependent on the level of spinal cord injury, are able to experience reflex ejaculation.
Clinical Context
PVS is used for semen retrieval in men with spinal cord injury who can frequently achieve erection and have sexual intercourse, but have a very low percentage of successful ejaculation. If enough sperm are able to be collected in the ejaculate, they are washed and processed by the IVF lab and can be used for intrauterine insemination (IUI). Some men with spinal cord injury have poor sperm quality; despite being able to collect ejaculated sperm, they may not be candidates for IUI. In this case, in vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI) are used to carefully inject selected individual sperm in the female partner’s retrieved egg. Once fertilization occurs, the embryo is then transferred into the woman’s uterus.