The Effect of Protective Coil Embolization of Penile Anastomoses during Prostatic Artery Embolization on Erectile Function: A Propensity-Matched Analysis.

PURPOSE: To explore whether coil embolization of penile collateral arteries to prevent nontarget embolization during prostatic artery embolization (PAE) negatively affects erectile function. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis was performed on a prospectively maintained multicenter PAE database on all patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (January 2014 to July 2016). International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) scores were collected at baseline and within 12 months after the procedure. A logistic regression and nearest neighbor propensity-matched analysis (matched for age, baseline IIEF-5 scores, and use of 5α-reductase inhibitors) and paired t test were used to evaluate for differential impact on IIEF-5 scores between the group of patients who underwent (unilateral) penile collateral coil embolization and a matched control group of patients who did not. RESULTS: Of a total of 216 patients, 26 underwent coil protection of an accessory pudendal vessel/penile collateral. After exclusions, 22 propensity-matched pairs were identified. The mean IIEF-5 score at baseline for the coil-embolized group was 14.8 ± 8.3 (out of a possible score of 30) and that for the matched control group was 14.0 ± 7.8. At the 12-month follow-up after the procedure, the mean follow-up IIEF-5 score was 15.5 ± 8.0 for the coil-embolized group and 14.2 ± 8.2 for the matched control group. The change in IIEF-5 scores after PAE was not significantly different between the 2 groups (0.66 ± 3.8 vs 0.20 ± 2.0; P = .64; 95% CI, -1.53 to 2.44). CONCLUSIONS: When penile collateral arteries were identified, protective coil embolization of penile collateral/accessory pudendal vessels during PAE was unlikely to affect erectile function negatively.