Introduction. One of the main methods of surgical treatment of premature ejaculation is a selective dorsal neurotomy, based on decreasing penile sensitivity by selective resection of its sensory nerves. This surgical procedure is a quite effective, but invasive and has a long recovery time. Nowadays we know is a less invasive procedure, named selective minimally invasive cryoablation of penile sensory nerves. The essence of the method is cooling the nerves to a temperature of minus 78°С with thin needle-like cryoprobe, which is inserted through the skin. This treatment option is minimally invasive, but cavernous bodies and dorsal arteries located close to cold cryoprobe. This fact led to lot of discussions.

Aim of the study. Evaluate the safety of surgical treatment of premature ejaculation by selective minimally invasive cryoablation of penile nerves in an animal model.

Materials and methods. Two laboratory animals (rabbits) have been involved in experiment, both of them underwent selective minimally invasive cryoablation of the nerves of the penis by following method: a 16G cannula for intravenous injections has been inserted into the neuro-vascular bundle at the base of the rabbit's penis, and a 0,8 mm diameter cryoprobe was inserted through the cannula (Metrum Cryoflex, Warsaw, Poland). The probe has been cooled to a temperature of minus 78°С with a freezing time 2 minutes, a defrosting of 1 minute, and a second cooling cycle lasting 2 minutes. The same procedure was performed on the opposite side. For the second animal, cold exposure was increased to 3 minutes with each cooling cycle with a 1-minute break.A week later, the animals were removed from the experiment, their genitals were sent for histological examination.

Results. The skin of the penis in the cryoablation area was intact in both animals. Insignificant edema, vascular congestion and a very few diapedesis hemorrhages were found in the fascia area. There weren’t dystrophic or necrotic changes, as well as inflammatory infiltration. The cavernous bodies also have been intact in both laboratory animals. The nerves in the areas in contact with the cryoprobe demonstrated the axonotmesis and valerian degeneration with intact connective tissue sheath of the nerve. Preservation of the nerve stroma ensures the possibility of its gradual regeneration.

Conclusion. Selective minimally invasive cryoablation is a safe method to cure premature ejaculation, because the anatomical structures of the penis of laboratory animals demonstrated the absence of irreversible changes.