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Updated: Feb 10, 2026
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Optimizing Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery: A Fully 3D CT O-Arm Navigated Workflow in MIS TLIF
Published on: October 17, 2025
591
Sexual activity after spine surgery: a systematic review
Azeem Tariq Malik1, Nikhil Jain1, Jeffery Kim1
1Department of Orthopaedics, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, 725 Prior Hall, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
Summary
Spine surgery may improve sexual function, though anterior lumbar approaches increase retrograde ejaculation risk. More research is needed to guide patient counseling on sexual activity after spinal procedures.
Area of Science:
- Urology
- Neurosurgery
- Sexual Medicine
Background:
- Sexual function is a key aspect of quality of life.
- Spine surgery can impact sexual function due to factors like surgical approach, fusion, neurological status, and pain.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review existing evidence on the impact of spine surgery on sexual function.
- To identify specific surgical factors associated with adverse sexual outcomes.
Main Methods:
- A systematic review of studies published between 1997 and 2017 was conducted.
- Databases searched included Pubmed (MEDLINE) and Google Scholar using comprehensive keywords related to sexual function and spine surgery.
- Eighty-one studies were included in the final analysis.
Main Results:
- Most studies were low-quality retrospective case series (Level IV evidence).
- Anterior lumbar surgical approaches, particularly transperitoneal laparoscopic, were linked to a higher incidence of retrograde ejaculation.
- Evidence regarding the impact of fusion position or bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) on sexual function remains inconclusive.
Conclusions:
- A general trend suggests improvement in sexual activity and function post-spine surgery, despite limited high-quality data.
- Further research with specific sexual activity assessments is necessary.
- Improved data will enable better pre-operative counseling for patients undergoing spine surgery.
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