title: Prognostic value of penile colour doppler ultrasonography for recovering erectile function after radical prostatectomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyse the predictive utility of penile colour Doppler ultrasonography after the injection of vasoactive agents for recovering erectile function after radical prostatectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study was conducted on patients with erectile dysfunction after radical prostatectomy who were treated with intracavernous injections of prostaglandins E1 between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2012. The study included patients with no history of erectile dysfunction prior to the surgery and who did not respond to medical treatment. Colour Doppler was performed on all patients after the intracavernous injection. A peak systolic velocity ≥30cm/sec and an end diastolic velocity ≤5cm/sec were considered normal haemodynamic values. We assessed the result of the treatment during the follow-up using the International Index of Erectile Function-5.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We included 197 patients. The mean age was 60.8 (±6.3). The pathological diagnosis for all patients was adenocarcinoma, 74.1% of which were confined to the organ (T1-T2/Nx-N0). Treatment with injections after the surgery was started after a mean duration of 6.8 months (+3.5). The Doppler ultrasonography results were normal for 53 patients (26.9%). During the follow-up, 113 patients (57.4%) maintained functional erections; 55 of these patients (28%) did not require injections. Normal Doppler ultrasonography results were associated with a favourable response to treatment (p<.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prostaglandin E1 test will help provide a diagnosis in erectile dysfunction for patients who have undergone prostatectomies. The test helps provide information on the vascular condition of the penis and useful prognostic information for the follow-up of these patients.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Urología, Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Córdoba, España. Electronic address: pepoffspring@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Valero-Rosa
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Urología, Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Córdoba, España.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Campos-Hernández
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Urología, Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Córdoba, España.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carrasco-Valiente
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Urología, Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Córdoba, España.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gómez-Gómez
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Urología, Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Córdoba, España.
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Márquez-López
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Urología, Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Córdoba, España.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ruiz-García
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Urología, Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Córdoba, España.
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: García-Rubio
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Urología, Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Córdoba, España.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Requena-Tapia
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Urología, Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Córdoba, España.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Prieto-Castro
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000601:surgery; D000527:Alprostadil / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010410:Penile Erection; D010413:Penis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000379:methods; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color
chemical_list: D000527:Alprostadil
keywords: Disfunción eréctil; Doppler ultrasonography; Ecografía doppler; Erectile dysfunction; Prostatectomía radical; Radical prostatectomy