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Laparoscopic treatment of pudendal nerve and artery entrapment improves erectile dysfunction in healthy young males

International Journal of Impotence Research volume 33, pages 1–5 (2021)Cite this article

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Abstract

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is increasingly becoming more common in young healthy males and is attributed mainly to psychogenic causes in these patients. Recent studies have reported that ED could be secondary to pudendal nerve or artery entrapment. This perspective assessed the efficacy of laparoscopic pudendal nerve and artery decompression in young patients suffering from refractory ED, associated to a pudendal nerve entrapment syndrome. After excluding patients with psychological ED and venous leakage, five young male patients with a history of both ED and pudendal nerve entrapment syndrome diagnosed based on the Nantes criteria were recruited. Pudendal nerve and artery release was performed using a laparoscopic transperitoneal approach. International Index for Erectile Function (IIEF-5) and erectile hardness score (EHS) improved significantly in all patients, 3 months after surgery. Pudendal nerve and artery entrapment could be therefore a reversible cause of ED in young healthy males, and its treatment by laparoscopic pudendal nerve and artery decompression seems to be safe and effective.

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Fig. 1: Main surgery steps.
Fig. 2: Improvement of erectile function after pudendal nerve and artery decompression.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Urology Department, Institut Jules Bordet, Brussels, Belgium

    Fouad Aoun

  2. Hotel-Dieu de France, Université Saint Joseph, Beirut, Lebanon

    Fouad Aoun, Georges Mjaess & Anthony Kallas Chemaly

  3. Mount Lebanon Hospital, Beirut, Lebanon

    Fouad Aoun, Ghazi Sakr, Anthony Kallas Chemaly & Mohammad Salameh

  4. Rizk Hospital (LAU Medical Center), Beirut, Lebanon

    Karim Daher

  5. Urology Department, University Clinics of Brussels, Hôpital Erasme, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium

    Simone Albisinni & Thierry Roumeguere

  6. Gynecology Department, EpiCURA Hospital, Ath, Belgium

    Fabienne Absil

  7. Department of Urology, Université Nord de France, St Phillibert Hospital, GHICL, Lille, France

    Renaud Bollens

  8. Wallonie Picarde Hospital, Tournai, Belgium

    Renaud Bollens

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  1. Fouad Aoun
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  2. Georges Mjaess
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  3. Karim Daher
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  4. Ghazi Sakr
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  5. Anthony Kallas Chemaly
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Correspondence to Fouad Aoun.

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Aoun, F., Mjaess, G., Daher, K. et al. Laparoscopic treatment of pudendal nerve and artery entrapment improves erectile dysfunction in healthy young males. Int J Impot Res 33, 1–5 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41443-020-0287-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41443-020-0287-8

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