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59th Annual Meeting of the German Society of Neurosurgery (DGNC)
3rd Joint Meeting with the Italian Neurosurgical Society (SINch)

German Society of Neurosurgery (DGNC)

1 - 4 June 2008, Würzburg

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Influence of lumbar spinal canal stenosis and spinal decompression on erectile function

Einfluss lumbaler Spinalkanalstenose und spinaler Dekompression auf erektile Funktion

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  • corresponding author J. Gempt - Neurochirurgische Klinik und Poliklinik, Klinikum rechts der Isar der Technischen Universität München
  • R. D. Rothoerl - Neurochirurgische Klinik und Poliklinik, Klinikum rechts der Isar der Technischen Universität München
  • F. Ringel - Neurochirurgische Klinik und Poliklinik, Klinikum rechts der Isar der Technischen Universität München
  • B. Meyer - Neurochirurgische Klinik und Poliklinik, Klinikum rechts der Isar der Technischen Universität München

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie. Società Italiana di Neurochirurgia. 59. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie e.V. (DGNC), 3. Joint Meeting mit der Italienischen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie (SINch). Würzburg, 01.-04.06.2008. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2008. DocSO.03.02

The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at: http://www.egms.de/en/meetings/dgnc2008/08dgnc013.shtml

Published: May 30, 2008

© 2008 Gempt et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.en). You are free: to Share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work, provided the original author and source are credited.

Outline

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Objective: Erectile dysfunction is common but often unknown to the treating physician in an elderly population. While several different causes for erectile dysfunction are under examination the influence of lumbar spinal canal stenosis on erectile function is unknown. The present retrospective study tries to illuminate erectile dysfunction in a patient population suffering from spinal canal stenosis and undergoing decompression for spinal canal stenosis. Aim of the study is to evaluate whether erectile dysfunction is common in this population and whether treatment has an influence on the symptoms.

Methods: 197 patients with lumbar spinal stenosis, who underwent spinal decompression where screened. Patients over 75 years, patients who received radical prostectomy and patients with psychiatric or other severe diseases were excluded. The remaining 38 patients with a mean age of 63 years were asked about their erection status before and after lumbar spinal decompression according to a standardized questionnaire (IIEF-5). Furthermore VAS (Pain), quality of life, and walking distance were included.

Results: On the basis of this retrospective study, we saw a significant decrease of back (mean difference: 3.29, P<0,001) and leg pain (mean difference: 3.66, P<0.0001) after decompression. A significant increase in quality of life (42.61, P<0.0001) was assessed as well. The IIEF score did not increase after decompression. We actually assessed a significant decrease of IIEF (mean difference: 1.842, P=0.0018).

Conclusions: In spite of a successful surgical treatment according to standard parameters, we observed a significant decrease of IIEF.