Medtronic sex stent could be future ED therapy option

​ For men who haven't had much luck with Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra, Medtronic thinks a new artery stent near the penis might do the trick to keep it functioning sexually.

About 25 million men with erectile dysfunction don't respond to the drug treatments and a new Medtronic study could show some hope for those patients. The 50-patient study was launched last week and results are expected by 2011.

The Fridley-based company will be insert a small mesh stent coated with drugs into the arteries that bring blood to the penis. These are the same stents used to keep clogged arteries around the heart open.

Here is how a stent typically works: