A male undergoing colorectal surgery may experience erectile dysfunction (ED) after colorectal surgery. A patient may not be informed of this risk and can become distressed by it after surgery.
Patient selection: colorectal surgery
The most important risk factors were surgery on the rectum and failure to use nerve-sparing surgery when doing so. If nerve sparing surgery is not performed, then the patient is also at risk for urinary incontinence.
Key nerves affected: nerves from the inferior and superior hypogastric plexi, pelvic splanchnic nerves
Other risk factors:
(1) older age
(2) colostomy
(3) depression
(4) other factors for erectile dysfunction or some degree of ED prior to surgery
(5) radiation therapy
(6) anastomotic leakage
Sildenafil therapy and other ED therapies may improve the ED in some patients.
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