Prostatectomía radical y calidad de vida: resultados en un centro de alta complejidad

Introduction Radical prostatectomy (RP) is the gold standard in curative surgical treatment for prostate cancer. However, it has significant consequences such as urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction. The aim of this study is to describe the prevalence of complications and its effects on quality of life of patients undergoing an open RP in a reference center. Materials and Methods The data of patients who underwent RP at Hospital Universitario San Ignacio from 2005 to 2015 was reviewed. Patients who underwent RP more than 12 months ago where selected and with previous verbal consent a UCLA PCI questionnaire was completed by phone. The information was organized in a database to apply descriptive statistics which allowed to summarize and analyze the results. Results During the years analyzed there were performed 231 radical prostatectomies. It was possible to contact 112 by phone to get the UCLA PCI questionnaire completed. In the urinary function domain, 57% of patients report to “have total control of urine,” 53% never leak, 82% of them do not require the use of pads and 62% have urine leakage less than once a week. Regarding sexual function, 69,3% scored their ability to have an erection as poor or very poor, 25% medium and 7% good or very good. For 20% it was sufficient to achieve coitus. And for 52% this function means a problem in their life. The impact on life quality showed that 91.8% of patients felt that their health in general was very good, good or excellent and 70% did not have any physical limitation. Conclusions Radical prostatectomy has an important and no insignificant impact in patients’ quality of life, especially regarding urinary function and sexual function.