Technical advances in nerve-sparing and continence preservation
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 8, 2025
Implantation and Control of Wireless, Battery-free Systems for Peripheral Nerve Interfacing
Published on: October 20, 2021
Adriana M Pedraza1, Vinayak Wagaskar, Sneha Parekh
1Department of Urology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York, USA.
Purpose Of Review:
Urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction are common after radical prostatectomy. These side effects greatly impact patients' quality of life. Therefore, surgical techniques and technology tools are constantly being developed to optimize trifecta outcomes. Here we focus on advances in nerve-sparing (NS) and continence preservation.
Recent Findings:
New surgical techniques dedicated to preservation rather than reconstruction have been developed to improve urinary continence (UC) and NS. On the other hand, intraoperative assessment of prostatic and periprostatic structures has shown promising outcomes toward NS whereas avoiding omission of extracapsular extension (ECE). Likewise, neural regeneration strategies are under research to improve return of erectile function and UC.
Summary:
Superb outcomes after Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy require a proper balance between NS and risk of ECE. Detailed anatomic knowledge together with an accurate surgical planning are cornerstone for tailoring the approach in each case.
