[Is rehabilitation of erectile function following pelvic surgery reasonable? Review of the literature: from sports to PDE5 inhibitors]

[Specialist uro-oncological rehabilitation after treatment for prostate cancer--update 2015. Position statement of the working group on "rehabilitation of urological and nephrological diseases" of the German Society of Urology with respect to current S3 guidelines]

After uro-oncological primary therapy of prostate cancer the quality of life of patients is often limited. The adequate and prompt treatment of specific urological functional, physical and mental deficits has a decisive influence on the quality of life. These deficits can be recorded using instruments for measuring the quality of life, in particular the QLQ-C30 of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) and the SF-36 questionnaires. The quality of life is the most important parameter for quality assurance of the results. The primary objectives are the therapy of postoperative functional disorders, in particular urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction in addition to overcoming the disease. The "urological triad" plays a central role in recovering the quality of life and patient satisfaction.

[Counselling for erectile dysfunction during inpatient rehabilitation after radical prostatectomy]

For men erectile function is essential for quality of life. Besides urine incontinence postsurgical erectile dysfunction (ED) following radical prostatectomy (RPE) represents a significant and prevalent problem. One of the first approaches to this condition should be a consultation performed by professionals in a rehabilitation clinic.A total of 149 patients post RPE participated in this prospective study. All patients were questioned about their understanding of postoperative surgical ED after RPE and if affected they were asked about their own psychological burden as well as their knowledge of possible therapy options. The qualities of presurgical patient information as well as the modules of information pertaining to ED during the rehabilitation were evaluated. Of the patients, 53% expressed that they experienced a considerable burden due to postsurgical ED during their follow-up rehabilitation (AR group) and 70% of the patients during oncological rehabilitation treatment (rehab group). Men who were sexually more active prior to surgery suffered more from postsurgical ED than their less active counterparts. A negative correlation between psychological burden and age was found in the AR group, which however was levelled in the rehab group. Particularly in older patients the burden of ED increases with more time elapsing after the operation. The medical information on ED therapy options provided during the inpatient rehabilitation was considered to be essential by 60% of the men in the AR group and 48% of the patients in the rehab group.Therapeutic possibilities for postsurgical ED following RPE cannot always be given to patients in the preoperative phase or during their stay in the hospital. Since however a large majority of men suffer from postoperative ED following RPE a specialized inpatient urological rehabilitation is suited for a comprehensive consultation.