title: Serial Changes in Sexual Function Following Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate: A Short-term Follow-up Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the serial changes in sexual function in the short-term period after holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and to investigate whether a change in each domain of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) is associated with improvement of micturition.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-eight potent men who underwent HoLEP and in whom complete 12-month follow-up data on the IIEF were available were included in this retrospective study. All patients underwent a baseline evaluation for BPH. The surgical outcome was evaluated at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively by use of the International Prostate Symptom Score, IIEF, and uroflowmetry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age and body mass index of the patients was 64.5±6.2 years and 24.2±2.6 kg/m(2), respectively. Mean total prostate volume and transitional zone volume were 48.8±18.8 ml and 24.2±16.1 ml, respectively. Most IIEF domain scores showed a slight decrease at 1, 3, and 6 months after surgery but recovered to the baseline or showed a marginal but nonsignificant increase at 12 months postoperatively compared with baseline. Orgasmic function and the overall sexual satisfaction domain score remained slightly reduced up to 12 months postoperatively. There was no significant correlation between improvement of micturition and change in sexual function throughout the follow-up period after surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although HoLEP achieves significant improvements in micturition, overall sexual function decreases slightly in the early postoperative period, but recovers to the baseline at 12 months postoperatively. Our data suggest that changes in sexual function after HoLEP are not associated with improvement of micturition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Min Su
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.forename: Seung Beom
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.forename: Chang Ju
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Min Chul
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Soo Woong
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jae-Seung
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Paick