ARE THERE RELEVANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN EXPECTATIONS OF PATIENTS AND THEIR PARTNERS AFTER PENILE REHABILITATION PROGRAMS AFTER NERVE-SPARING PROSTATECTOMY?

Several strategies are published for postoperative erectile function rehabilitation after nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy (nsRP). Expectations of the partners of the patients are rarely subject of most of these rehabilitation studies. The aim of our study was to evaluate the expectations of patients and of the partners of patients undergoing nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy and penile rehabilitation programs and possible relevant differences between the expectations.

We performed a questionnaire sent to patients and their partners of all enrolled patients of 3 different penile rehabilitation studies after nsRP with a regular dose of different PDE5-inhibitors (sildenafil/vardenafil/tadalafil). 124 patients (mean age 69 years) had been enrolled in the rehabilitation studies and their partners (mean age 66 years) were included in this study. The survey consists of different questions, eg, if the patients and their partners believe in the rehabilitation concept and what they expect with regards to the outcome.

89 patients and 78 partners of the 124 patients (72%/63%) completed and returned the questionnaire. Before rehabilitation treatment 81 patients (91%) and 51 partners (65%) believed in the concept of rehabilitation, 55 patients (62%) but only 32 partners (41%) expected partly to fully rehabilitation of erectile function caused by the initiated penile rehabilitation program. After the end of the study treatment, 2 years after nsRP, 64% of patients and 45% of their partners are satisfied by the recovery of erectile function.

Despite the fact that 91% of patients within penile rehabilitation programs believe in the concepts of rehabilitation only 62% of the patients and only 41% of their partners expect partly to fully recovery of erectile function after nsRP. Satisfaction rate with erectile function recovery was reported by 64% of patients and 45% of their partners 2 years after nsRP.

none.