The impact of surgical hemorrhoidectomy on male sexual function: A preliminary study

INTRODUCTION: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a highly prevalent condition among men all over the world and commonly associated with undiagnosed medical diseases as chronic pelvic pain and hemorrhoid. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to study the impact of surgical hemorrhoidectomy on sexual function in men with erectile dysfunction (ED). MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a prospective manner, we studied the effect of surgical hemorrhoidectomy on erectile function (EF) in male patients with ED. Hemorrhoidectomy was carried out in 82 patients with clinical hemorrhoid associated with ED (Group 1) and compared with 81 patients without operative intervention (Group 2; control). The primary efficacy variable was the mean change in the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) questionnaire. RESULTS: In Group 1, the IIEF questionnaire increased significantly after hemorrhoidectomy, from 15.56 to 27.37 (P < 0.001), indicating improvement of EF. Thirty-six patients (41.1%) showed improvement of EF compared to 5.3% in the control group (P < 0.001). In Group I, but not in Group II, IIEF values increased significantly when compared with preoperative values (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: We concluded that surgical hemorrhoidectomy is clearly related to improvement of EF in male hemorrhoid patients with ED.