Patient-reported urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction following radical prostatectomy: results from the European Prostate Centre Innsbruck

Abstract

Introduction: Urinary and erectile functions were assessed by using self-administered validated questionnaires in patients undergoing radical prostatectomy.

Materials and methods: In a prospective observational study, a total of 253 consecutive patients diagnosed with clinically localised prostate cancer between 2008 and 2009 at the European Prostate Centre Innsbruck were included. Patient-reported outcomes were assessed before radical prostatectomy and 12 months postoperatively using the validated International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire (ICIQ) and the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF). The Wilcoxon signed-rank test and Chi square statistics were used for analysis.

Results: The study showed that before radical prostatectomy, urinary incontinence of various severity grades was reported in 18.8, postoperatively in 63.0% (p < 0.001) and erectile dysfunction of various degrees was reported in 39.6 at baseline compared to 80.1% 12 months postoperatively (p < 0.001).

Conclusions: This study suggests that radical prostatectomy is associated with a significantly increased risk of urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction 12 months postoperatively.