© 2 0 0 5 B J U I N T E R N A T I O N A L | 9 5 , 1 2 6 7 – 1 2 7 1 | doi:10.1111/j.1464-410X.2005.05501.x 1267 Original Article SURAL NERVE GRAFTING DURING RADICAL PROSTATECTOMY, and SEXUAL POTENCY PORPIGLIA et al. Is laparoscopic unilateral sural nerve grafting during radical prostatectomy effective in retaining sexual potency? FRANCESCO PORPIGLIA, FRANCESCA RAGNI, CARLO TERRONE, JULIEN RENARD, FRANCESCA MUSSO, SUSANNA GRANDE, CECILIA CRACCO, GIANPAOLO GHIGNONE and ROBERTO M. SCARPA Division of Urology, Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Turin ‘San Luigi’ Hospital, Turin, Italy Accepted for publication 11 February 2005 OBJECTIVES To present a pilot study of laparoscopic unilateral sural nerve grafting during radical prostatectomy, with the aim of preserving sexual potency. PATIENTS AND METHODS Because they had localized prostate cancer, 29 men had a laparoscopic radical prostatectomy with deliberate wide unilateral neurovascular bundle resection and preservation of the contralateral bundle. Fifteen men (group A) had an interposition sural nerve graft on the sectioned bundle, and 14 (group B) had laparoscopic radical prostatectomy with preservation of the unilateral bundle only. The men were also involved in a rehabilitation programme, and erectile function was evaluated after surgery, and at 3, 8, 12 and 18 months, using the five- item version of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) questionnaire. RESULTS The two groups had similar clinical characteristics (age, prostate-specific antigen level, body mass index, prostate volume, clinical stage, Gleason score before and after surgery, postoperative stage). The follow-up was complete for 12 men in group A and 10 in group B. Group A had significantly higher erectile function scores on the IIEF-5 at 12 and 18 months than immediately after surgery (P < 0.01), whereas in group B the improvement was not statistically significant. Overall, by 18 months after surgery five of 12 men in group A had achieved spontaneous unassisted erection or erection assisted with sildenafil, while three of 10 in group B achieved an erection assisted with sildenafil (not significant). CONCLUSIONS These data suggests that laparoscopic sural nerve grafting during radical prostatectomy is feasible and safe; nevertheless we cannot conclude that sural nerve grafting is more effective than preserving the neurovascular bundle alone in retaining sexual potency. More research is required to validate the effectiveness of this technique. KEYWORDS laparoscopy, radical prostatectomy, sural nerve, prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction INTRODUCTION In recent years, laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RP) has been used in many European and American urological centres. The safety and efficacy of this procedure is Associate Editor Michael G. Wyllie Editorial Board Ian Eardley, UK Jean Fourcroy, USA Sidney Glina, Brazil Julia Heiman, USA Chris McMahon, Australia Bob Millar, UK Alvaro Morales, Canada Michael Perelman, USA Marcel Waldinger, Netherlands