Evaluation of the treatment results and adaptation to treatment in the phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor therapy among erectile dysfunction patients

EVALUATION OF THE TREATMENT RESULTS AND ADAPTATION TOTREATMENT IN THE PHOSPHODIESTERASE TYPE 5 INHIBITOR THERAPYAMONG ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION PATIENTSDr. Sertaç ÇimenDokuz Eylül University School of Medicine Departmen of Urology İnciraltı 35340 İzmirPDE5 inhibitor therapy is an efficacious treatment for erectile dysfunction. PDE5inhibitors supply penile erection by inhibiting the hydrolysis of cGMP and thereforerelaxing the corpus cavernosum. In this study, retrospective evaluation of the patientswho admitted to our clinic with the complaint of erectile dysfunction and whom were onPDE5 inhibitor treatment in terms of follow-up results and patient satisfaction wereaimed. With this aim, the patients were called by phone and after informing about thestudy and taking the concent, patient satisfaction with the treatment, purposes ofwithdrawal, treatment alterations and partner satisfaction were investigated. Interviewswere made with 345 patients, whom accepted to enroll in the study and the mean patientage was 56 ± 11,2. 66,4% of the patients were learnt to be satisfied with the treatment. Itwas determined that 10,7% of the patients did never use the medication and 50% couldnot continue because of high treatment cost. It was recognized that 50,2% of thepatients whom are not satisfied with the treatment tried another PDE5 inhibitor. Thesuccess rate of the treatment was found to be higher in the followed-up group than thegroup out of follow-up. It was determined that penile prosthesis implantation was advisedto 51,9% of the group unsatisfied with the PDE5 inhibitor treatment but 14,7% of thesepatients refused this treatment because of the high cost of the inflatable prosthesis.Therapy with PDE5 inhibitors is an effective means of erectile dysfunctiontreatment. The importance of doctor-patient communication must be considered, and thepatient must be advised for adaptation to follow-up program. High treatment costs shouldbe re-evaluated by considering the negative psychosocial effects of erectile dysfunctionand the patient population who cannot afford the treatment costs.Key wordsPDE5 inhibitor, erectile dysfunction, patient satisfaction