How Xialla Works to Correct Venous Leak

Contents

• How an erection works
• How erections are lost
• Fixing the problem
• Why drugs often aren't enough
• Why unanchored rings often fail
• Why tighter rings are not the answer
• How Xialla stays in place
• Using Xialla with other therapies
• Summary

Xialla looks similar to a constriction ring, and it is often compared to the inexpensive rings sold as adult products. It is an FDA-registered Class II medical device designed to slow venous outflow (venous leak). The difference is in how it stays in position. The explanation starts with how an erection works.

How an erection works

An erection requires two conditions at once: blood must flow into the penis, and blood must not leave faster than it arrives.

Blood enters through the cavernosal arteries deep in the shaft. Sexual arousal dilates those arteries and increases inflow. Blood normally leaves through the penile venules and the deep dorsal vein. As the corporal tissue fills and hardens, it compresses those veins against the tunica albuginea, slowing outflow. As long as inflow exceeds outflow, the erection is maintained.

How erections are lost

Two imbalances cause erectile dysfunction: inflow that is too slow (arterial), or outflow that is too fast (venous). In either case, outflow eventually exceeds inflow and the erection is lost. Excess outflow is called venous leak, or veno-occlusive dysfunction.

Fixing the problem

Treatment therefore aims at one or both sides of the balance: increasing inflow, or decreasing outflow. PDE5 inhibitor drugs increase inflow by relaxing the arteries.

Why drugs often aren't enough

For many men, PDE5 drugs are not enough. Inflow improves, but outflow is still too fast. That can happen when the erection never becomes firm enough to compress the veins — for example when arousal is weaker than it once was — or when the veins themselves have stiffened with age and need more pressure to close.

What those men need is a way to compress (but not fully close) the deep dorsal vein and penile venules so that outflow slows.

That is what a conventional constriction ring attempts. Stretched and placed at the base of the penis, the ring uses elastic pressure to partially close the veins and slow outflow.

Why unanchored rings often fail

Unanchored rings often fail in use because intercourse moves them. With each thrust the ring is pushed slightly backward; with each withdrawal it can slide forward. Penile skin slides over the shaft with very low friction, which makes that movement easy.

Even a small back-and-forth motion is enough to let the ring act like a weak pump, squeezing blood along the veins instead of trapping it. That is why an ordinary ring often feels as if it should work and then does not hold during intercourse.

Why tighter rings are not the answer

Making the ring tighter so it cannot move does not solve the problem. Skin still slides under very high circumferential pressure. A ring tight enough to stop all sliding also stops arterial inflow, and the penis becomes cold and numb.

A scrotal loop attached to an ordinary ring is a common second attempt. The scrotum itself can move during intercourse, so the loop does not hold the ring fixed relative to the shaft.

How Xialla stays in place

Xialla is drawn backward firmly against the scrotum, and the scrotum is drawn backward as far as is comfortable. An adhesive pad on the lower back anchors the strap, so both the ring and the scrotum stay in position during intercourse.

With the ring held still, compression of the penile venules and deep dorsal vein is maintained. Outflow slows, and the erection that has formed is more likely to stay firm.

Maximum continuous wear is 30 minutes. Remove the device before sleeping, and remove it immediately if the penis becomes numb, cold, discolored, or painful. See using a constriction device safely.

Using Xialla with other therapies

Xialla is not a substitute for oral ED medication; it addresses a different part of the mechanism. Some men get a usable erection from PDE5 drugs alone. Men whose main problem is venous leak often do not, because the drugs raise inflow without fixing outflow.

For those men, slowing outflow can be the missing step. For men with both low inflow and high outflow, combining a PDE5 inhibitor (or injection) with Xialla addresses both sides at once.

Summary

Erectile dysfunction can come from insufficient inflow, excess outflow (venous leak), or both. Xialla slows venous outflow. It works on the same principle as a constriction ring, but the anchoring strap holds it in place so compression is maintained during intercourse. It can be used alone or with therapies that increase inflow.

If you have questions about anything in this article, write to us at hello@xialla.com. We read and answer every message.