[Cavernous nerve reconstruction to restore erectile function following radical prostatectomy].
Recent years have seen an increasing incidence of prostate cancer (PCa) and a more frequent occurrence of the disease in younger men. Damage to cavernous nerves caused by radical prostatectomy is the main reason for post-operative erectile dysfunction. So reconstruction of cavernous nerves at the time of radical prostatectomy may restore the patient's erectile function. At present, clinical studies of using autologous sural nerve grafts to bridge transected cavernous nerves have achieved modest success, and laparoscopic sural nerve grafting during radical prostatectomy has also been proved safe and feasible. Besides, various grafts have been used to reconstruct cavernous nerves in animal models, among which biodegradable conduits containing growth-promoting factors or cells are a promising option for the repair of damaged cavernous nerves.
Song
Lu-Jie
LJ
Department of Urology, Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200233, China. lsjurology@126.com
Pan
Lian-Jun
LJ
Xu
Yue-Min
YM
D000818:Animals; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009416:Nerve Regeneration; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D010413:Penis / Q000294:innervation*; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D051381:Rats; D013497:Sural Nerve / Q000637:transplantation