Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate changes in penile oxygen saturation in Japanese patients before and after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP). PATIENTS AND METHODS: The present study included 33 Japanese patients who underwent RARP between June 2018 and February 2024. Tissue oxygen saturation (StO(2)) was measured in the glans, bilateral corpora, and both thighs before and after surgery using Toccare™, a tissue oximeter. RESULTS: Nerve-sparing procedures were achieved as follows: right side, 16 patients (48.5%); left side, 11 (33.3%); bilateral, 4 (12.1%); none, 2 (6.1%). In all patients, no significant difference was observed in StO(2) in the bilateral thighs before and after surgery, whereas a significant decrease was noted in the glans and bilateral corpora after surgery. StO(2) in the glans and bilateral corpora significantly decreased in 20 patients in the right-side nerve-sparing group and 15 in the left-side nerve-sparing group, and nerve-sparing procedures did not correlate with changes in StO(2). CONCLUSION: StO(2) in the glans and bilateral corpora decrease after RARP irrespective of whether a nerve-sparing procedure is performed.