AUA 2017: How Long Should Patients Wait Before Resuming Sexual Activity After BPH Surgery?
Dr. Goldberg presented a prospective questionnaire-based study enrolling sexually active men referred for either open/endoscopic BPH surgery. Patients were asked to complete an IPSS, IIEF and the sexual part of the EPIC questionnaires (assessing BPH severity, erectile and sexual function) a month before and after their surgery. Upon discharge, patients were advised to resume sexual activity whenever they desired without indicating a specific period of abstinence.
To study urologists' perspectives in this context, the authors approached board certified urologists, asking them to complete a short questionnaire assessing their current practice and recommendations. Overall, 70 urologists completed the questionnaire. More than 94% worked at academic centers, most had more than 10 years’ experience, and over 50% indicated performing at least 60 surgeries yearly. The results of their questionnaires demonstrated that more than 50% would recommend abstaining from any sexual activity for 1-3 month postoperatively.
Of the 71 participating patients, roughly half underwent endoscopic surgery. Over 80% of patients were older than 60 and over 90% were married. The postoperative IPSS improved significantly, while no difference was detected in the IIEF and EPIC scores. Almost all patients (94%) patients reported on resuming sexual activity less than a month postoperatively and more than 40% within 2 weeks. Two thirds reported on retrograde ejaculation and 11 % reported on mild bleeding. Although more than 20% experienced some pain during orgasm, only 10% decided to refrain temporarily from further sexual activity.
Dr. Goldberg concluded his presentation by stating that while most urologists recommend refraining from sexual activity for 1-3 months following BPH surgery, this study suggests that over 94% of patients may resume sexual activity shortly after surgery (<1 month), expecting minimal adverse side effects.
Presented By: Hanan Goldberg, Toronto, Canada
Written By: Hanan Goldberg, MD, Urologic Oncology Fellow (SUO), University of Toronto, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
at the 2017 AUA Annual Meeting - May 12 - 16, 2017 – Boston, Massachusetts, USA