Penile Implant Considerations in the Bladder Cancer Survivor.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: After radical cystoprostatectomy, patients often develop erectile dysfunction refractory to first- and second-line treatments. In this review, we summarize and analyze the literature describing the technical considerations and outcomes of penile implant surgery in bladder cancer patients with history of radical cystectomy and urinary diversion.

RECENT FINDINGS: Penile prosthesis surgery in patients after radical cystectomy and urinary diversion has been infrequently described in the literature. Recent studies have shown that the three-piece inflatable penile prosthesis can be placed safely after significant prior intraabdominal surgery due to the development and refinement of several techniques to place the reservoir. Further studies are needed to objectively determine the impact of penile prosthetic surgery on functional outcomes in this historically undertreated yet increasingly significant patient population. As health-related quality of life outcomes continue to gain increasing importance after radical cystectomy, urologists should offer motivated bladder cancer survivors the inflatable penile prosthesis as the treatment of choice for refractory erectile dysfunction due to its safety and unmatched ability to restore erectile function.