What is venous leak?

Venous leak is when excess blood flows out of the erection because the valve in the dorsal veins, that should hold the blood in, doesn't work properly.

Think of an erection as like pumping up a tire. You need to get air in, but you also need the valve to hold the air in. If the valve is rusty or doesn't work, the air can leak out, causing a soft tire, or a flat.

Similarly, with an erection, you need blood to flow in and you need the outflow valve to work properly to prevent the blood from flowing out. If the outflow valve doesn't work properly, blood escapes and the erection goes soft or is lost.

The condition of the blood escaping to cause loss of the erection is called venous leak.

For an animated video illustrating venous leak, click here. 

For a more detailed explanation of venous leak and ED symptoms, causes and treatments, click here.