Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Jun;15(2):111-114.
doi: 10.1097/CU9.0000000000000016. Epub 2021 May 4.

Assessment of changes in penile sensation by electrophysiological study after radical prostatectomy: A pilot study

Ali Yildiz  1 , Ekrem Islamoglu  1 , Mustafa Yuksel  1 , Ibrahim Erol  1 , Kaan Karamik  1 , Tuncay Cakir  2 , Mutlu Ates  1 , Murat Savas  1
Affiliations

Assessment of changes in penile sensation by electrophysiological study after radical prostatectomy: A pilot study

Ali Yildiz et al. Curr Urol. 2021 Jun.

Abstract

Background: To evaluate the changes in penile sensation by electrophysiological tests in patients who underwent radical prostatectomy (RP) and to demonstrate the role of dorsal penile nerve injury in postoperative erectile dysfunction.

Materials and methods: Twenty-six volunteer patients who were eligible for RP were included in the study. Preoperative penile sensory electromyography and the International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5) questionnaire were done for each patient. Erectile function assessment and electrophysiological evaluation of penile sensation were repeated at postoperative 3rd and 6th months.

Results: Postoperative IIEF-5 scores and electromyography values were significantly lower than preoperative findings (p < 0.05). The IIEF-5 scores in the nerve sparing-RP (NS-RP) group were significantly higher than the non-nerve sparing-RP (NNS-RP) group in the postoperative period. Nerve conduction velocity values in the NS-RP group were also higher than the NNS-RP group at the postoperative 3rd and 6th months. However, these changes were not statistically significant (p > 0.05).

Conclusions: Patients who underwent RP have decreased penile sensation due to cavernous nerve damage and a possible dorsal penile nerve injury. The decrease of penile sensation may be associated with postoperative erectile dysfunction.

Keywords: Dorsal penile nerve; Erectile dysfunction; Penile sensation; Prostate cancer; Radical prostatectomy.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

No conflict of interest has been declared by the author.

References

    1. Siegel RL, Miller KD, Jemal A. Cancer statistics, 2018. CA Cancer J Clin 2018;68(1):7–30. - PubMed
    1. Faria EF, Chapin BF, Muller RL, Machado RD, Reis RB, Matin SF. Radical prostatectomy for locally advanced prostate cancer: current status. Urology 2015;86(1):10–15. - PubMed
    1. Dubbelman YD, Dohle GR, Schroder FH. Sexual function before and after radical retropubic prostatectomy: a systematic review of prognostic indicators for a successful outcome. Eur Urol 2006;50(4):711–718. - PubMed
    1. Montorsi F, Brock G, Lee J, et al. Effect of nightly versus on-demand vardenafil on recovery of erectile function in men following bilateral nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy. Eur Urol 2008;54(4):924–931. - PubMed
    1. Ayyathurai R, Manoharan M, Nieder AM, Kava B, Soloway MS. Factors affecting erectile function after radical retropubic prostatectomy: results from 1620 consecutive patients. BJU Int 2008;101(7):833–836. - PubMed