Penile NumbnessEarly Phase 1NCT07171567
Vacuum Therapy for the Treatment of Penile Numbness/Sensory Changes
A Early Phase 1 study testing Vacuum erection device in people with Penile Numbness, run by Ottawa Hospital Research Institute at 1 site in Canada.
Trial summary
This is a prospective, uncontrolled, Hypothesis generating study. A total of eight adult male participants experiencing penile insensitivity will be recruited through the Ottawa Hospital's Men's Health Clinic. Participants will receive a Health Canada Class I VED to use daily over a six-month period. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older, men only
- Conditions the study is for
- Penile Numbness
- What is being tested?
- Vacuum erection device
- Type of treatment
- Medical device
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 8 participants
- Where
- 1 siteCanada
- Study dates
- 1 Oct 2025to 1 Oct 2027
- Phase
- Early Phase 1
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- Men only
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Male adults (age 18 and over)
- Have been seen by a urologist in consultation for penile numbness/insensitivity
- 5.2 Exclusion Criteria
- Under 18 years of age
Who cannot join
None listed.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Canada1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
The Ottawa Hospital
Ottawa, Ontario, K1Y4E9
Amanda Ross, 6137985555, amanross@toh.ca
Luke Witherspoon, MD
About this study
This is a prospective, uncontrolled, Hypothesis generating study. A total of eight adult male participants experiencing penile insensitivity will be recruited through the Ottawa Hospital's Men's Health Clinic. Participants will receive a Health Canada Class I VED to use daily over a six-month period. The study includes biweekly check-ins and monthly questionnaire assessments (including the IIEF-5 and two custom instruments focused on penile sensitivity) administered via Lime Survey.
The primary outcome is to explore the feasibility and acceptability of daily vacuum erection device (VED) therapy over a 6-month period in adult males experiencing penile numbness/insensitivity. Data analysis will focus on feasibility metrics (e.g., adherence rates, completion of assessments) and descriptive statistics. Any changes in questionnaire scores over time will be evaluated using within-subject comparisons (e.g., Wilcoxon signed-rank test), recognizing that findings are preliminary and not generalizable due to the lack of a control group.
- Conditions
- Penile Numbness
- Being tested
- Vacuum erection device
- Keywords
- Penile numbness, Penile sensation changes
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Vacuum erection deviceDevice
A vacuum erection device (VED) is a mechanical device designed to enhance blood flow to the corpora cavernosa by creating a vacuum environment. When combined with a constriction ring at the base of the penis, VEDs can promote and sustain an erection.
This is a prospective, uncontrolled, hypothesis-generating pilot study. Eight adult male participants with penile insensitivity will be enrolled and asked to use a VED daily for six months. Monthly self-reported questionnaire data and biweekly follow-up calls will be used to assess feasibility and to collect exploratory outcome data.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| vacuum erection device (VED) | Experimental | Not described Receives: Device: Vacuum erection device |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Feasibility of recruitment to study
To evaluate the feasibility of recruitment to a study examining the daily use of vacuum erection device (VED) therapy over a 6-month period in adult males with penile numbness or reduced sensation. Feasibility will be assessed via the ability to enroll subjects within a 1 year period and by treatment adherence and completion rates. Treatment adherence/completion will be assessed during standardized study visits
Measured: 6 months
Acceptability of treatment
Acceptability will be evaluated through patient-reported experiences using online questionnaires. Changes in penile sensation will be measured using patient-reported outcomes of erectile function (standardized questionnaires) and a subjective Likert scale of penile numbness collected at baseline, throughout the study and at the end of the 6-month intervention
Measured: 6 months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted12 Sep 2025
- Study start1 Oct 2025 (estimated)
- Primary completion1 Oct 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion1 Oct 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Penile NumbnessStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Ottawa Hospital Research InstituteThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Early Phase 1
- Primary purpose
- Device feasibility
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 8 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Luke Witherspoon, Principal investigator, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07171567
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 20250231-01H
- Status last verified
- Sep 2025
- First submitted
- 26 Aug 2025
- Last updated
- 12 Sep 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 12 Sep 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Vacuum Therapy for the Treatment of Penile Numbness/Sensory Changes
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07171567
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 20250231-01H
- Conditions
- Penile Numbness
- Keywords
- Penile numbness, Penile sensation changes
- Phase
- Early Phase 1
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 8 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Ottawa Hospital Research InstituteUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Oct 2025 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- 1 Oct 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 1 Oct 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 12 Sep 2025 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This is a prospective, uncontrolled, Hypothesis generating study. A total of eight adult male participants experiencing penile insensitivity will be recruited through the Ottawa Hospital's Men's Health Clinic. Participants will receive a Health Canada Class I VED to use daily over a six-month period. The study includes biweekly check-ins and monthly questionnaire assessments (including the IIEF-5 and two custom instruments focused on penile sensitivity) administered via Lime Survey.
The primary outcome is to explore the feasibility and acceptability of daily vacuum erection device (VED) therapy over a 6-month period in adult males experiencing penile numbness/insensitivity. Data analysis will focus on feasibility metrics (e.g., adherence rates, completion of assessments) and descriptive statistics. Any changes in questionnaire scores over time will be evaluated using within-subject comparisons (e.g., Wilcoxon signed-rank test), recognizing that findings are preliminary and not generalizable due to the lack of a control group.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Device feasibility
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| vacuum erection device (VED) | Experimental | Device: Vacuum erection device |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- Male only
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Male adults (age 18 and over)
- Have been seen by a urologist in consultation for penile numbness/insensitivity
- 5.2 Exclusion Criteria
- Under 18 years of age
Key exclusion criteria (0 listed)
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Vacuum erection deviceA vacuum erection device (VED) is a mechanical device designed to enhance blood flow to the corpora cavernosa by creating a vacuum environment. When combined with a constriction ring at the base of the penis, VEDs can promote and sustain an erection. This is a prospective, uncontrolled, hypothesis-generating pilot study. Eight adult male participants with penile insensitivity will be enrolled and asked to use a VED daily for six months. Monthly self-reported questionnaire data and biweekly follow-up calls will be used to assess feasibility and to collect exploratory outcome data. | Device | vacuum erection device (VED) |
Primary outcome
Feasibility of recruitment to study
Time frame: 6 months
To evaluate the feasibility of recruitment to a study examining the daily use of vacuum erection device (VED) therapy over a 6-month period in adult males with penile numbness or reduced sensation. Feasibility will be assessed via the ability to enroll subjects within a 1 year period and by treatment adherence and completion rates. Treatment adherence/completion will be assessed during standardized study visits
Acceptability of treatment
Time frame: 6 months
Acceptability will be evaluated through patient-reported experiences using online questionnaires. Changes in penile sensation will be measured using patient-reported outcomes of erectile function (standardized questionnaires) and a subjective Likert scale of penile numbness collected at baseline, throughout the study and at the end of the 6-month intervention
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 12 Sep 2025.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Luke Witherspoon principal investigator
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A Early Phase 1 study testing Vacuum erection device in people with Penile Numbness, run by Ottawa Hospital Research Institute at 1 site in Canada.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 0 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 12 Sep 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Canada. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
What does this phase mean?
Early Phase 1 (sometimes called Phase 0) studies give a very small amount of a treatment to a few people, mainly to see how the body handles it.
Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Each site lists its own contact: choose the nearest one under Trial locations. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Feasibility of recruitment to study (time frame: 6 months). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 12 Sep 2025.