Prognostic factors for restoring orgasmic function in patients after radical prostatectomy

Abstract

Background. Radical prostatectomy (RP) remains the gold standard in prostate cancer treatment. RP often has side effects that negatively affects quality of life. Influence on sexual life, in particular, orgasmic function (OF) of patients is one of the most actual issues that require additional research.Objective. Analysis of OF after RP as well as OF's pathologies are presented in our study.Materials and methods. The study includes 146 patients with safe sexual life on preoperative period, who underwent RP for prostate cancer in S.P. Botkin City Clinical Hospital. 79.5 % had robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy and 20.5 % — retropubic RP. Mean age of patients was 61.1 ± 6.5 years. Erectile function was assessed by the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF), the sum median was 25 points. Observation period was 12 months.Results. OF recovered in 65.7 % of patients in one year after RP versus 30.1 % in erectile function recovery. Climacturia was detected in 21.9 % patients, painful orgasm in 13 % patients.Conclusion. OF recovered in most patients till the end of the first year of observation. Younger age, safe pre- and postoperative erectile function, nerve-sparing surgery have positively affected OF recovery. Further researches needed to find statistically more relevant OF recovery predictors after RP, prevention of its pathologies.