Open AccessBenefits of erectile function recovery programs after radical prostatectomy (Review)
Author(s) -
Dragoș Marcu,
Lucian Lorga,
Camelia Cristina Diaconu,
Arsenie Dan Spînu,
Dan Mischianu,
Ovidiu Gabriel Bratu
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
experimental and therapeutic medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1792-1015
pISSN - 1792-0981
DOI - 10.3892/etm.2020.8934
Subject(s) - erectile function , prostatectomy , molecular medicine , urology , erectile dysfunction , function (biology) , oncogene , cell cycle , medicine , chemistry , prostate cancer , cancer , biology , microbiology and biotechnology
Radical prostatectomy is one of the most frequent therapeutic options used for the management of patients diagnosed with prostate cancer. Normal erectile function after radical prostatectomy is a great problem for numerous patients and a real challenge for urologists worldwide. The advancements that have been made over the years in terms of minimally invasive surgery, as well as in terms of surgical techniques, have reduced the incidence of erectile dysfunction, but even so, its rate remains high and the post-operative recovery of erectile function is a long and costly process. Phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors have provided excellent results and have become the first-line treatment for these patients, followed by intracavernous injections with alprostadil. Several studies have underlined the impact of phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors in terms of preventing the fibrotic changes that are responsible for the irreversible erectile dysfunction. The general opinion is that an erectile function recovery process should be started as soon as possible after surgery to prevent the negative effects of neuropraxia.