Preservation of ejaculation in patients undergoing nerve-sparing postchemotherapy retroperitoneal lymph node dissection for metastatic testicular cancer.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the clinical parameters associated with the recovery of ejaculation after nerve-sparing postchemotherapy retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (PC-RPLND) for nonseminomatous germ cell tumor.


METHODS
We queried our institutional database for all patients who had undergone nerve-sparing PC-RPLND from 1995 to 2005 using a bilateral template. Nerve sparing was performed whenever technically feasible and oncologically prudent. Antegrade ejaculation was defined as any seminal fluid expulsion and was determined by patient report. We evaluated the recovery of antegrade ejaculation using clinical and pathologic parameters and fit a logistic regression model to determine which preoperative variables were associated with antegrade ejaculation.


RESULTS
A total of 341 patients had undergone PC-RPLND during the study period, 136 (40%) with nerve-sparing techniques. Postoperative antegrade ejaculation was reported by 107 of 136 patients (79%) with information available. On multivariate analysis, a right-sided primary testicular tumor (odds ratio 0.4, 95% confidence interval 0.1-1.0, P = .044) and residual masses > or = 5 cm (odds ratio 0.1, 95% confidence interval 0.0-0.7, P = .020) were associated with retrograde ejaculation. However, 40 of 54 patients (74%) with right-sided primary tumors and 4 of 9 patients (44%) with a mass > or = 5 cm reported antegrade ejaculation. The 5-year relapse-free survival rate was 98%, with a median follow-up of 39 months (interquartile range 19-66).


CONCLUSIONS
Nerve-sparing PC-RPLND is associated with excellent functional return of antegrade ejaculation, is feasible in select patients with bulky disease, and results in excellent oncologic outcomes.
Pettus
Joseph A
JA
Department of Surgery, Division of Urology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10021, USA.
Carver
Brett S
BS
Masterson
Timothy
T
Stasi
Jason
J
Sheinfeld
Joel
J
D000328:Adult; D004542:Ejaculation; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D009373:Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012187:Retroperitoneal Space; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D055815:Young Adult