Ricerc@Sapienza

Objective: Penile prosthesis implantation (PPI) represents the gold standard
treatment for erectile dysfunction when conservative approaches (oral PDE-5
inhibitors, transurethral suppositories or prostaglandin injections) fail.
Although many studies about PPI have been published so far, data about
psychosexual dimensions and attitudes towards sexuality are lacking. The
aim of this study was to analyse the factors involved in sexual function and
sexual satisfaction in patients undergoing inflatable penile prosthesis
implantation.
Methods: We revised our institutional database of patients undergoing IPP
implantation between January 2010 and June 2015. Exclusion criteria were:
simultaneous urinary incontinence, simultaneous surgery for congenital or
acquired recurvatum, previous urethral or penile surgery, removal of the
prosthesis due to malfunction/infection. All patients were assessed pre- and
postoperatively with detailed medical history, physical examination and
scoring of sexual outcomes by validated questionnaires including the International
Index of Erectile Function (IIEF), ISS (Index of Sexual Satisfaction)
and Brief Sexual Attitudes Scale (BSAS) and a questionnaire designed at our
referral center for penile surgery to ascertain time to and frequency of PPI
use, and postoperative changes in penis size perception. Univariable and
multivariable analyses were performed determine predictors of sexual
outcomes.
Results: Overall, 42 men met study criteria and were included in the
analysis. Mean (SD) age was 62.3±7.1 (range 47-77). Among the several
findings, the erectile function was the main predictor related to sexual
satisfaction ISS total score (F(1,21)¼5.40; p<.05). Moreover, the highest
number prosthesis activation, regardless of sexual activity, was positively
correlated with a future higher frequency of sexual activity (r¼.69; p<.01).
Conclusion: Several factors affect the resumption of sexual activity and the
sexual satisfaction of patients after the prosthetic implant. This study
revealed some interesting data for the pursuit of the best sexual outcome.
Policy of full disclosure: None