Impact of obesity on early erectile function recovery after robotic radical prostatectomy

Studies are limited regarding the impact of obesity on early erectile functional outcomes after robotic radical prostatectomy. Our goal was to determine this impact using patient-reported validated questionnaires.

International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-6) scores were prospectively collected with institutional review board approval, for patients who underwent robotic radical prostatectomy with bilateral nerve sparing from February 2007 to October 2009. The data were categorized into nonobese and obese groups and subsequently into 2 subgroups based on risk for postprostatectomy erectile dysfunction. Low risk is preoperative IIEF-6 ≥19 and high risk is IIEF-6 <19. The groups and subgroups were compared using chi-square analysis.

Of 190 consecutive patients, 67 were excluded for preoperative severe erectile dysfunction (IIEF-6<7), or lack of IIEF-6 scores, or both. There were 69 nonobese patients of which 88% were potent preoperatively and 20% regained potency at 12 months postoperatively. Of 54 obese patients, 85% were potent preoperatively and 25% at 12 months. There was no difference in erectile function recovery rates between the groups (P=0.755). In both groups, patients with low risk of postoperative erectile dysfunction had statistically similar postoperative mean IIEF-6 scores at 6 and 12 months (P=0.580 and P=0.389, respectively), and no difference in erectile function recovery rates existed at 12 months (P=0.735).

Obesity has no major contribution to the rate of early erectile function recovery after robotic radical prostatectomy. Preoperative erectile function remains the determining factor in postradical prostatectomy erectile dysfunction.