Nerve-sparing technique

The anatomical, or "nerve-sparing," technique has reduced the risk of severe incontinence to 1 percent to 3 percent and the chance of mild incontinence to around 10 percent. The risk of erectile dysfunction varies with the age of the man and the skill of the surgeon. One group of researchers reported successful recovery of erections in 68 percent of men treated with nerve-sparing surgery. Full recovery of erectile function can take more than a year in some cases, however. When erectile dysfunction does occur after surgery, it can usually be treated successfully.

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In the nerve-sparing procedure, the tiny nerve bundles that sit on either side of the prostate and that are required for an erection are carefully dissected away from the prostate but are otherwise left intact. (If the cancer is suspected to have spread to these nerves, however, they will be removed.)