This study aims to report age-stratified potency outcomes in men undergoing robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP).
A retrospective review was performed on a database of 1737 patients who underwent RARP for localized prostate cancer between 2007 and 2019. Inclusion criteria consisted of patients undergoing bilateral nerve-sparing RARP. Exclusion criteria were preoperative Sexual Health Inventory for Men (SHIM) score < 17 and postoperative androgen deprivation therapy or radiotherapy. Patients were divided into four cohorts based on age: ≤ 54 years (group 1); 55-59 years (group 2); 60-64 years (group 3) and ≥ 65 years (group 4). Functional outcomes were measured up to 36 months. Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed to compare the time to recovery of potency stratified by age groups using log-rank testing.
A total of 542 patients met the selection criteria. Potency rates were significantly different between groups. Groups 1 through 4 demonstrated potency recovery rates of 64.2%, 52.3%, 36.6% and 20.7% at 1-year follow up, respectively. After 3 years, groups 1 through 4 had potency rates of 77.9%, 67.0%, 50.5% and 35.0%, respectively. Recovery of potency was achieved at a median time after surgery of 199, 340 and 853 days for groups 1-3, respectively. The Cox proportional hazard model showed that older age, higher body mass index (BMI), and lower preoperative SHIM score were associated with significantly higher rates of impotence.
This study shows that RARP has acceptable potency outcomes, regardless of age. However, patient factors, including older age and preoperative SHIM were significantly associated with poorer functional recovery. This data is valuable in prognostic evaluation and patient counseling.
The Canadian journal of urology. 2023 Feb [Epub]
Adel Arezki, Iman Sadri, Ahmed S Zakaria, Felix Couture, David-Dan Nguyen, Pierre Karakiewicz, Dean S Elterman, Kevin C Zorn
Division of Urology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada., Department of Surgery, Division of Urology, Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada., Division of Urology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada., Division of Urology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada., Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada., Division of Urology, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.