New nerve-grafting procedure helps to restore erectile function in men who have undergone radical prostatectomy surgery. Australian researchers report high degree of success.
There is new hope today for men facing the prospect of radical prostatectomy — the surgical removal of the prostate gland and surrounding tissue. This form of surgery often damages nerves that are critical to erectile function, resulting in temporary or even permanent erectile dysfunction.
Most often damaged during radical prostatectomy are penile nerves in the corpora cavernosa, the twin columns of spongy erectile tissue that lie within the shaft of the penis. It is this erectile tissue that becomes engorged with blood to create an erection. Damage to the nerves in that delicate area of the penis can make erection difficult, if not impossible.
Brazilians Pioneer New Technique
However, surgeons in Brazil have pioneered a new technique that has been highly successful in restoring erectile function to the majority of men on which it’s been performed. The procedure involves the removal of a nerve from the patient’s leg that is then grafted into the corpora cavernosa of the penis to regenerate the nerve damaged during prostatectomy.
A trio of Australian researchers recently published a report on the application of a slightly modified version of the Brazilian technique on post-prostatectomy patients at a Melbourne hospital. Seventeen such patients with ED underwent the procedure.
Median Age of Patients Was 64
The median age of the Australian patients was 64, and all were suffering from profound ED after their radical prostatectomies. After the nerve-grafting, these patients were tracked for an average of 18 months.
At the 12-month mark, 71 percent of the men who underwent the nerve-grafting procedure reported that they had sufficient erectile function recovery to allow them to engage in sexual intercourse. And 94 percent of the men treated exhibited clinically significant recovery in erectile function.
Additional Study Recommended
The Australian researchers acknowledged that the group they studied was relatively small. In the conclusion to the study, they called for the implementation of this nerve-grafting technique at multiple medical centers so that additional data could be collected as to its efficacy and safety. The study was previewed online in advance of publication in European Urology.
In the absence of this new nerve-grafting procedure, many men who’ve lost their erectile function after prostate surgery find that the oral ED drugs such as Viagra and Cialis can help them to temporarily regain sexual function. And these drugs would likely be helpful to men who’ve undergone the nerve-grafting procedure but have not yet returned to near-normal erectile function.
* * *
For men whose erectile dysfunction is caused primarily by insufficient blood flow to the penis, the first line of treatment are Viagra and the other ED drugs known collectively as PDE5 inhibitors. If you’d like to be able to order these drugs from the comfort of your home, you should check out all the services available from eDrugstore.com, a longtime online facilitator based in Tempe, Arizona.
A full range of ED medications, including both brand-name and generic drugs, is available through eDrugstore. But you’ll need a doctor’s prescription to order these drugs. If you have one from your doctor, you can fax it or scan and email it along with your order. If not, eDrugstore can arrange a complimentary online consultation with a licensed U.S. physician who can authorize a physician if appropriate. Visit eDrugstore’s Erectile Dysfunction page.
We specialize in providing our over 1,000,000 customers with relevant product and condition information created by our professional editorial staff which includes our team of medical writers, medical practitioners, and health educators. eDrugStore.com Staff on Facebook