Radical prostatectomy in cases of prostatic carcinoma: the problem concerning erectile impotence

It has become fashionable to perform radical prostatovesiculectomy for carcinoma of the prostate using the nerve-sparing method. In cases with a not too large prostate and a locally limited tumor, it is possible to preserve erectile potency. Our anatomic and radiologic preparation proved that postoperative impotence is not only due to lesions of the nerves but, almost as frequently, the consequence of obliterations of the vessels or a combination of both. If the lesion is purely arterial, revascularization surgery guarantees normal erections.