Adult urologyAcetyl-l-carnitine plus propionyl-l-carnitine improve efficacy of sildenafil in treatment of erectile dysfunction after bilateral nerve-sparing radical retropubic prostatectomy
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Material and methods
This prospective trial was performed according to the CONSORT statement.10 It was authorized by our institutional review board (IRB) and was conducted from April 1, 1999 to February 1, 2004.
The studied population included all patients complaining of ED after BNSRRP. The eligibility criteria included completely functional erections before surgery (corroborated by the partner and documented in the patient file), BNSRRP (indicated on the surgical report) performed for pathologically proven
Results
A total of 96 men underwent surgery by 17 different surgeons in 12 different institutions. They were randomized into three groups. Of these 96 men, 14 (13.5%) discontinued prematurely (Fig. 1). Of these 14, 3 from group 2 discontinued the study because they achieved satisfying sexual intercourse without sildenafil. The differences among the treatment groups with respect to demographic variables were not clinically meaningful (Table I).
The modifications in the analyzed variables with respect to
Comment
These results may indicate that PLC plus ALC improves the efficacy of sildenafil in restoring and/or in ameliorating sexual ability after BNSRRP. Three patients in group 2 were able to achieve spontaneous intercourse without sildenafil. The efficacy of the drugs proved similar to the placebo in modifying the PSV and EDV of cavernosal arteries; therefore, these patterns are not involved in the return of erectile potency. The side effects of sildenafil administration proved consistent with
Acknowledgment
To Tracy Hammerstrom for her technical assistance during the course of the trial and for editing the manuscript.
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Erectile Dysfunction
2018, Integrative Medicine: Fourth EditionErectile Dysfunction
2012, Integrative Medicine, Third EditionErectile dysfunction following radical prostatectomy: A review
2011, British Journal of Medical and Surgical UrologyCitation Excerpt :The use of sildenafil before VED-induced erections has also been shown to improve sexual function [78]. A summary of human trials specific to the treatment of post-prostatectomy ED is shown in Table 1 [79–82]. With increased understanding of the molecular mechanisms underpinning cavernosal apoptosis, attempts to manipulate these processes are being investigated.
This study was funded by Sigma-Tau, Industrie Farmaceutiche Riunite.