OBJECTIVE
To present our experience of cavernous nerve graft reconstruction, using an autologous nerve vein‐guide technique, to restore potency.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
Prostate cancers frequently require radical resection involving one or both cavernous nerves that usually results in erectile dysfunction; nerve grafting has been used to restore erectile function, but clinical results are unsatisfactory owing to inadequate surgical techniques. In all, eight patients with prostate cancer who required radical resection involving one cavernous nerve had sural nerve grafting, with two or three sutures using the autologous vein‐guide technique, in our unit between 2004 and 2005. Because of the difficulty of performing microsurgical manoeuvres deep within the pelvic cavity, the nerve anastomosis might be unsatisfactory.
RESULTS
Seven of the eight patients had spontaneous erectile activity after grafting and six of these patients were able to have intercourse.
CONCLUSION
Sural nerve grafting using the autologous vein‐guide technique is simple, has minimal morbidity, and yields good outcomes.
Administration of antivenom is currently the standard treatment for snake envenomation. However, it can sometimes cause anaphylactic reactions including urticaria, bronchospasm and hypotension. Furthermore, it may also provoke life-threatening complications, even though the mortality rate is less than 1%. In this study, we present a new treatment -immediate radical fang mark ablation -that was successfully performed on five victims of Japanese viper bites without antivenom use. In these five victims of venomous snakebites, surgical debridement was immediately performed. Two patients received a free-skin graft to resurface their wounds while three of them healed conservatively (i.e. by ointment treatment without surgery). After treatment, all patients could return to work. Immediate radical ablation is a recommended procedure that can reduce the amount of venom in tissues, which consequently decreases inflammatory reactions and reduces the necessity for antivenom.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.