Patient-reported urinary continence and sexual function after anatomic radical prostatectomy.

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Oncology
• Surgical Outcomes

Background:

• Surgeon-reported outcomes for urinary continence and sexual function after radical prostatectomy often exceed patient-reported data from other centers.
• Discrepancies may stem from surgical technique variations or data collection methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine patient-reported rates of urinary continence and sexual potency following radical prostatectomy.
• To assess outcomes in men treated by an experienced surgeon at a high-volume referral center for localized prostate cancer.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 64 potent, preoperatively potent men with localized prostate cancer underwent anatomic radical prostatectomy.
• A validated quality-of-life survey assessing urinary and sexual function and bother was administered preoperatively and at 3, 6, 12, and 18 months postoperatively.

Main Results:

• By 18 months post-surgery, 93% of patients reported being "dry" (no pads), with 93%-98% experiencing minimal urinary bother.
• Sexual potency (unassisted intercourse, with or without sildenafil) was achieved by 86% of patients at 18 months, with 84% reporting minimal sexual bother.
• While 33% used sildenafil intermittently, only 2 patients were unable to achieve intercourse without its use.

Conclusions:

• Patient-reported outcomes demonstrate high rates of urinary continence and sexual potency after radical prostatectomy.
• An experienced surgeon at a high-volume center achieves excellent functional recovery for patients undergoing radical prostatectomy.