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Experience with intracavernous injection in the treatment of erectile dysfunction after radical prostatectomy: dose considerations

Abstract

We sought to identify factors influencing dose maintenance of intracavernous (IC) injection among patients with ED following radical prostatectomy. A total of 93 patients underwent prostatectomy and received IC treatment for ED, including PGE1 single therapy (n=53) and triple therapy (n=40). In the PGE1-only group, the maintenance dosage was significantly correlated with preoperative sexual function and nerve sparing (NS) (P<0.05). For example, the maintenance dose among patients with no, unilateral and bilateral NS was 10.8±6.6 μg (0.54±0.33 ml), 10.8±3.8 μg (0.54±0.19 ml) and 6.4±4.6 μg (0.32±0.23 ml), respectively. In terms of preoperative sexual function, the maintenance dose among non-ED versus ED patients was 0.38±0.25 ml (7.6±5.0 μg) and 0.59±0.31 ml (11.8±6.2 μg), respectively. No significant correlation was observed between the maintenance dose and NS or preoperative sexual function among the triple-therapy patients or between the maintenance dose and age, body mass index, systemic diseases and initiation of ED treatment among all patients (P>0.05). Thus, maintenance dose of PGE1 therapy could be partly determined by NS status and prior ED of patients.

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Acknowledgements

We thank late professor Andrew C Novick for his advice and great support of this study. We also thank Sandy Ausmundson, Ya-Chi Wu, Tzdngan Wang and Chia-Hua Lee for colleting, analyzing and offering advice on data sources. We thank Polly Liu for English modification.

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Correspondence to F-P Chuang.

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Chuang, FP., Lakin, M., Wu, ST. et al. Experience with intracavernous injection in the treatment of erectile dysfunction after radical prostatectomy: dose considerations. Int J Impot Res 23, 146–150 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijir.2011.21

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