ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION AFTER COLORECTAL SURGERY

Sexual dysfunction following surgery for rectal cancer may be frequent and often severe. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the postoperative incidence of this complication and its severity. The current study is a retrospective study in which consecutive patients with rectal tumors, regardless of location (upper, middle or lower) were enrolled during a 1 year period in the General Surgery Clinic of the Emergency Clinical Hospital Prof. Dr. Agrippa Ionescu, Hospital, Bucharest. The patient files, paraclinical investigations, operative protocols, and histopathological bulletins were reviewed and data regarding age, gender, date of diagnosis, medical treatment administered including neoadjuvant therapy and reinterventions were collected. The IIEF-5 type questionnaires were used to assess sexual function at 6 months. We identified a number of 30 patients with amedian age of 60 years. All the patients were operated via open approach. Total mesorectal resection (TME) was practiced in 18 cases. Mean period follow-up was 10 months. Perioperative mortality was 0. There was no recurrence 1 year after surgery. Ten patients benefited from neoadjuvant radiotherapy. Rate of erectile dysfunction was 80%. The rate of ejaculation dysfunction was 70%. Patients operated for rectal cancer via an open approach showed severe sexual dysfunctions (SD). These complications affect the patient’s quality of life and need a multidisciplinary approach towards a better understanding of this problem by both the medical staff and the patient.