The Effect of Spinal Anesthesia on Penile Length and Erectile Function in Patients Underwent Endoscopic Urological Surgeries: A Double-Blinded Randomized Clinical Trial

Abstract

Background: Evidence shows that spinal anesthesia can alter the penile length and penile engorgement and the fact that patients undergoing spinal anesthesia may experience erectile dysfunction. We hypothesized that spinal anesthesia would not result in altered penile length; however, it can lead to temporary erectile dysfunction. Methods: A total of 73 patients referred to our hospital for endoscopic urological surgeries underwent either spinal anesthesia (SA, n = 37) or general anesthesia (GA, n = 36). We measured patients’ penile length in both stretched and flaccid states during surgery and compared changes in penile length between the SA and GA groups. We assessed erectile function in patients through a standard questionnaire one month and three months after the surgery. Results: No significant difference was observed in penile length during and two weeks after surgery between the SA and GA groups (P > 0.05). Regarding erectile function, we observed a significant difference in the international index of erectile function (IIEF)-5 score between the two study groups one-month after surgery (P < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference between the SA and GA groups three months after the surgery. Spinal anesthesia had no significant effect on penile length during and two weeks after surgery compared to general anesthesia. Conclusions: Patients undergoing SA may experience transient erectile dysfunction one month after surgery; however, they may develop transient erectile dysfunction, which is recovered three months after surgery.