Intracavernous injection in the treatment of erectile dysfunction after radical prostatectomy: an observational study

CONTEXT: Despite the recent improvements in performing radical retropubic prostatectomy that have led to a considerable decrease in the complication rate, erectile dysfunction still represents a major problem. Moreover, less invasive treatment options that are emerging for erectile dysfunction have not shown satisfactory results in managing these patients. OBJECTIVE: To study the efficacy and side effects of self-injection therapy in the treatment of men who had become impotent after undergoing radical prostatectomy due to prostate cancer, over a study period of 96 months. DESIGN: Observational study. SETTING: University Referral Center. PARTICIPANTS: 168 patients with erectile dysfunction, aged 43 to 78 years old, who underwent radical retropubic prostatectomy due to localized prostate cancer. PROCEDURES: The patients were treated with self-injection therapy using papaverine, phentolamine and prostaglandin E1, at home. RESULTS: This study showed an acceptable 94.6 percent success rate, with no life-threatening complications. In addition to this, our series presented a 13.1 percent cure rate with this therapy. CONCLUSION: Self-injection therapy with papaverine, phentolamine and prostaglandin E1 is effective and safe in the treatment of erectile dysfunction after radical prostatectomy

Alprostadil transuretral no tratamento da disfunçäo erétil / Transuretral alprostadil in the treatment of erectile dysfunction

Foram estudados 31 pacientes com disfunçäo erétil de várias etiologias, com idade entre 21 e 72 anos (mediana de 57 anos) que receberam três aplicadores contendo placêbo e três contendo 500 mcg de alprostadil, para administraçäo transuretral. Num seguimento de seis meses, apenas nove pacientes (29,03 porcento) relataram ereçöes rígidas ou suficientes para penetraçäo vaginal. Dentre esses nove pacientes que responderam bem ao tratamento, seis (66,66 porcento) apresentaram ereçöes adequadas para manter relaçöes sexuais também com o placebo; sete (77,77 porcento) apresentavam disfunçäo erétil de etiologia psicogênica e seis (66,66 porcento) tinham idade igual ou inferior a 45 anos. O alprostadil transuretral apresentou resultados muito ruins entre os pacientes com disfunçäo erétil orgânica e näo apresentou nenhuma resposta naqueles pacientes com disfunçäo erétil pós prostatectomia radical. Por outro lado, as complicaçöes foram discretas, representadas por 12,90 porcento de dor peniana; 3,22 porcento de uretrorragia e 3,22 porcento de lesäo do meato uretral. O alprostadil transuretral apresentou resultados insatisfatórios no tratamento da disfunçäo erétil, näo se constituindo até o momento numa opçäo terapêutica adequada para os pacientes com disfunçäo erétil orgânica por nós estudados