title: Relation between erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence after nerve-sparing and non-nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We investigated the status of erectile function and urinary continence after radical prostatectomy to investigate a possible relation between them and then determined whether the status of postoperative urinary continence affected erectile function.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-six patients who had no symptoms of erectile dysfunction or urinary incontinence preoperatively were included in this study. The postoperative status of erectile function and urinary continence was investigated using a self-reported patient questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirteen of 27 patients (48.1%) who underwent nerve-sparing procedures maintained erectile function, while 7 of 49 patients (14.2%) who underwent non-nerve-sparing procedures maintained it postoperatively. None of the 27 patients in the nerve-sparing procedure group reported incontinence, whereas 3 of the 49 patients (6.1%) who underwent non-nerve-sparing procedures reported moderate incontinence. However, no significant correlation between the International Index of Erectile Function-5 score and the Incontinence Impact Questionnaire score was seen.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  No relation between the status of urinary continence and erectile function was shown, regardless of the nerve-sparing nature of the prostatectomy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan.
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tsujimura
authors.forename: Kiyomi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsumiya
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miyagawa
authors.forename: Natsuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Takaha
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nishimura
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nonomura
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Tsuneo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hara
authors.forename: Seiji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: Shiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takahara
authors.forename: Akihiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Okuyama
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011467:Prostate / Q000294:innervation / Q000601:surgery; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology