[Erectile dysfunction after radical prostatectomy. Etiopathology and treatment]

Erectile dysfunction is one of the most common sequela from radical prostatectomy. The authors evaluate the incidence of erectile dysfunction after radical prostatectomy, study the likely causative vascular mechanisms and assess the efficacy of the treatments employed. Two hundred and four (204) radical prostatectomies were analyzed. 163 (80%) patients referred adequate erections prior to surgery. In 82 cases, surgery was performed with the intention of preserving one or both bands. For the remaining cases, radical surgery with exeresis of both bands was performed. Due to secondary erectile dysfunction, 75 patients were studied by preparing: clinical history, laboratory tests, penile neurophysiological studies and intracavernous prostaglandin E1 injection test. Dynamic drug-cavernosmetry was performed in 36 patients. After radical prostatectomy, only 9.2% previously potent patients retained adequate erections. Of the 82 cases where preservation of one or both bands was attempted, 9 (11%) patients retained their erections. Changes in neurophysiological parameters were found in 69.2% cases and general vascular injury detected in 23 (63.8%) patients by drug-cavernosmetry, the main injuries being cavernous arteries insufficiency in 58.3% and veno-occlusive failure in 33.3%. Of the 75 patients studied, 48 accepted the treatment: 40 (81.6%) used intracavernous auto-injection, 8 had penile prosthesis inserted, and one patient uses a vacuum device. Intracavernous Pg E1 auto-injection has provided adequate stiffness in 95% patients and, at 6 months from onset of treatment, a decrease of the minimal effective dose has been seen which is more noticeable in men under 60 and patients who start treatment within 6 months.