Acting on anecdotal evidence, Dr. Nelson and his co-authors, Peter Scardino, MD, and John P. Mulhall, MD, assessed the erectile function of 250 men average age, 59±8 years pre- and post-radical prostatectomy. Of the men with baseline erectile function scores ≥24 mild to no dysfunction, about one-third 32% regained function; however, well over half 60% required medication to do so. Only 13% of men reporting mild to no dysfunction prior to prostatectomy reported returning to full baseline function at 24 months without medication.
via Better patient counseling needed on post-RP erectile function – – UrologyTimes.
This study from Memorial Sloan Kettering points out that it is important to explain to patients that the ability to achieve an erection is less after surgery. Many factors account for a patients ability to recover erectile function including, age, preoperative function, sexual activity, the type of nerve sparing that can be performed (based on the amount of cancer), skill of the surgeon, type of surgery (open vs. robotic), and other factors.
I try to give an estimate of the probability of the ability to get erections after surgery with and without PDE5 medicines (viagra, levitra, cialis) for each patient.