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Updated: Jul 1, 2026
Isolation of Adipose Derived Regenerative Cells for the Treatment of Erectile Dysfunction Following Radical Prostatectomy
Published on: December 28, 2021
Erythropoietin promotes erection recovery after nerve-sparing radical retropubic prostatectomy: a retrospective
Arthur L Burnett1, Mohamad E Allaf, Trinity J Bivalacqua
1Department of Urology, The James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA. aburnett@jhmi.edu
Introduction:
Erectile dysfunction persists as a major functional complication of nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy.
Aim:
To evaluate retrospectively the potential benefit of erythropoietin administration to improve erectile function recovery following radical prostatectomy.
Methods:
Preoperatively potent patients who underwent nerve-sparing radical retropubic prostatectomy between March 2005 and February 2006 elected to receive erythropoietin treatment (40,000 IU subcutaneously, single injection on their preoperative day; treatment group, N = 15). A contemporaneous clinically matched cohort comprising patients who elected postoperative standard surveillance only served for comparison (control group, N = 21). Phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitor "on-demand" use was applied. Potency evaluations were monitored by International Index of Erectile Function-5 questionnaires administered preoperatively and at 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively.
Main Outcome Measure:
Erection recovery.
Results:
Health comorbidities as well as erectile function status were demonstrated to be no different between groups at baseline. Erythropoietin-treated patients demonstrated significantly higher postoperative International Index of Erectile Function-5 questionnaire scores than control group patients at 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively with or without use of PDE5 inhibitors (P < 0.05). At 12 months postoperatively, the percentages of patients performing sexual activity were 87% and 68% of erythropoietin-treated and control patients, respectively (P = 0.213), although the erythropoietin-treated patients had a significantly greater ability to perform sexual intercourse with minimal or no difficulty (P < 0.05).
Conclusion:
Erythropoietin administration on the preoperative day before undergoing nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy in men reporting normal erectile function preoperatively may confer improved erectile function recovery postoperatively.
