Erectile dysfunction is an underdiagnosed consequence of low anterior resection and abdominoperineal resection for colorectal cancer

To explore the frequency and predictive factors of erectile dysfunction diagnosis after colorectal cancer surgery. The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results—Medicare database was used to identify a national sample of men undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer from 2004 to 2015. Men aged > 65 years with any index surgery within 1 year of diagnosis of colorectal cancer were included. Men with a history of prior erectile dysfunction, metastatic cancer, or genitourinary cancer prior to their index procedure were excluded. The primary outcome was a new diagnosis of erectile dysfunction within 2 years of the index procedure. A total of 28,248 men aged > 65 years who underwent colorectal cancer surgery were identified. The rates of erectile dysfunction diagnosis 2 years after surgery were 3.6% for hemicolectomy, 5.3% for low anterior resection, and 6.4% for abdominoperineal resection. On multivariable analysis, low anterior resection (HR: 1.27, 95%CI 1.08 to 1.51, p < 0.01) and abdominoperineal resection (HR: 1.49, 95%CI 1.14 − 1.93, p < 0.01) were independently associated with increased risk of erectile dysfunction compared to hemicolectomy. Minimally invasive surgery was independently associated with an increased risk of erectile dysfunction compared to open surgery (HR: 1.44, 95% CI 1.25–1.65, p < 0.001). Compared to hemicolectomy, men treated with low anterior resection and abdominoperineal resection have a higher risk of being diagnosed with erectile dysfunction within 2 years of treatment. The absolute rate of erectile dysfunction diagnosis was low compared to rates reported in prior controlled trials, suggesting that patients are underdiagnosed in real-world settings.