Penile prosthesis implantation for the treatment for male erectile dysfunction: clinical outcomes and lessons learnt after 955 procedures.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical outcomes of penile prosthesis implantation for the treatment for erectile dysfunction (ED) over 3 decades in a centre of excellence. METHODS: A total of 955 penile prostheses were implanted between June 1981 and June 2010. The mean age of the men was 53.2 (28-80) years, and the mean follow-up was 76 (12-355) months. A total of 771 men had primary implants. The most common implant was Ultrex cylinder (54 %), and the main cause of ED was organic (32 %). RESULTS: Primary implants showed higher rate of intra-operative complications than revision surgery (3.5 vs. 0.1 %) (p < 0.05). Prosthesis infection occurred in 0.8 % and equal incidence between diabetic and pelvic trauma patients. The average time to prosthetic revision was 102 (30-210) months. Kaplan-Meier estimates of overall penile prosthesis survival at 5 and 10 years were around 90.8 and 85.0 %. The most common mechanical failures were fluid loss (75 %). The majority of men were satisfied with the surgical outcomes, and 90 % of men would undergo penile prosthesis implant again. CONCLUSIONS: Penile prosthesis surgery is a safe and durable treatment option for male ED. Strict adherence to antimicrobial prophylaxis and surgical practice is paramount to ensure low complication rates and high patient satisfaction rate.

Human leptospirosis in the Mekong delta, Viet Nam.

To estimate the seroprevalence of human leptospirosis in the Mekong delta in Viet Nam, an epidemiological survey was conducted in the province of Tien Giang, which is representative of the socioeconomic activities of the region (rice growing and cattle breeding). A cross-sectional study included 35 clusters representing 1400 people randomly selected and aged 15-60 years. Sex, age, occupation, contact with animals, type of water supply, and individual habits were recorded. Leptospiral agglutinins were detected by the microagglutination test, with a battery of 22 live antigens representing the main pathogenic serogroups of Leptospira species and additional local strains. 263 sera (18.8%) gave positive results and 41 (2.9%) had a titre of agglutinins > or = 400, suggesting recent infection. No significant difference was found between females and males. The distribution of seroprevalence was homogeneous throughout the population studied, with the exception of the 15-25 years age group, in which leptospiral antibodies were less frequent. Fifteen serogroups were found, the most prevalent being Bataviae (21.7%), Panama (15.2%), Icterohaemorrhagiae (13.7%) and Australis (8.7%). No significant link between leptospiral seropositivity and professional activities or contacts with animals was found, indicating that leptospirosis in the Mekong delta may be considered as an environmentally linked disease. Leptospirosis is known to be endemic in south-east Asia, and these data demonstrated the high level of circulation of leptospires and the potential importance of leptospiral infections among the rural population in this area.