[Ejaculatory disorders after surgical treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia]

Ejaculation disorders occur in 62-75% of patients after surgical treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Despite the development and widespread introduction into clinical practice of laser procedures, which have reduced the overall incidence of complications, the frequency of ejaculatory disorders is still high. This complication negatively affects the quality of life of patients.

To study the nature of ejaculation disorders in patients with BPH after surgical treatment. In this work, we did not compare the effect of various surgical methods and techniques in patients with BPH on ejaculation. At the same time, we selected the most widely used procedures in routine urological practice and assessed the presence and development of ejaculatory dysfunction prior to and after surgery. It should be emphasized that we determined the disorders that occurred in the same patients in whom ejaculatory function was evaluated prior to surgery.

A prospective study of the ejaculatory function of 224 sexually active men aged 49 to 84 years with LUTS/ BPH before and after surgical treatment was performed. From 2018 to 2021, thulium laser enucleation of prostatic hyperplasia (ThuLep) was done in 72 patients, conventional TURP in 136 patients, and 16 patients underwent open transvesical simple prostatectomy. Surgical treatment was carried out by certified urologists with extensive experience. ThuLep and conventional TURP were not ejaculatory-sparing. All patients underwent a standard examination for LUTS/ BPH pre- and postoperatively, including IPSS score, uroflowmetry to determine the maximum urine flow rate (Qmax), PSA, urinalysis, transrectal ultrasound examination with a calculation of prostate volume, postvoid residual. The erectile function was assessed according to the IIEF-5 score. Ejaculation function was evaluated according to the Male Sexual Health Questionnaire (MSHQ-EjD) preoperatively and at 3- and 6-months follow-up. For the diagnosis of premature ejaculation, CriPS questionnaire was used. For the differential diagnosis of retrograde ejaculation and anejaculation after surgical treatment, patients underwent an analysis of post-orgasmic urine for the presence and quantity of spermatozoa.

The average age of patients was 64 years. At baseline, various ejaculatory disorders were detected in 61.6% of cases. In 48.2% of patients (n=108) a decrease in the ejaculate volume was found, while 47.3% (n=106) noted a decrease in the intensity of ejaculation. In 15.2% of cases (n=34), acquired premature ejaculation was detected, and 17% (n=38) men reported pain or discomfort during ejaculation. In addition, 11.6% (n=26) had delayed ejaculation during intercourse. There were no patients with anejaculation at baseline. The average score on the IIEF-5 scale was 17.9, and on the IPSS scale 21.5 points. Three months after surgical treatment, the following disorders of ejaculation were documented: retrograde ejaculation in 78 (34.8%), anejaculation in 90 (40.2%) patients. In the remaining 56 (25%) men, antegrade ejaculation was preserved. Among those with antegrade ejaculation, an additional survey was carried out, which showed a decrease in ejaculate volume and in the intensity of ejaculation in 46 (20.5%) and 36 (16.1%) cases, respectively. Pain during ejaculation was noted by 4 (1.8%) men, however, there was neither premature nor delayed ejaculation after surgical treatment.

In patients with BPH, the predominate types of ejaculation disorders before surgical treatment were as following: a decrease in ejaculate volume (48.2%), a decrease in the speed (intensity) of ejaculation (47.3%), painful ejaculation (17%), premature ejaculation (15.2%), and delayed ejaculation (11.6%). After surgical treatment, retrograde ejaculation (34.8%, n=78) and anejaculation (40.2%, n=90) prevailed.