Preserving Erectile Function
One very common side effect of prostate cancer surgery is erectile dysfunction or the inability to have, and sustain, an adequate erection for sexual intercourse. While sexual desire, orgasm and sensation should be the same, most men notice a change in the quality of their erections. This is because the nerves and blood vessels required for erections often are stretched or cut during prostate surgery. (Men who've had radiation or hormone treatments for prostate cancer also experience the side effect of erectile dysfunction, but for different reasons.)
Dr. Mani Menon's revolutionary nerve-sparing technique, the Veil of Aphrodite, means that erectile dysfunction is no longer an inevitability for prostate cancer patients. Of patients with no pre-existing erectile dysfunction who underwent Dr. Menon's nerve-sparing robotic radical prostatectomy, over 90 percent eventually had return of erectile function. In one study, only one third of men who underwent open prostate surgery had restored erectile function six months after surgery.
