ABSTRACT

The incidence of prostate cancer (PCa) has risen dramatically in the past decade, probably owing to early detection programs that employ digital rectal examination, serum prostate-specifi c antigen (PSA), and transrectal ultrasonography.1,2 The increase in PCa detection has induced a sharp increase in the number of radical prostatectomies.1,3-7 The popularity of surgical treatment is due in part to improvements in technique that decrease the risk of impotence, including nervesparing prostatectomy.8