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Potency rates after radical prostatectomy vary with the measure used to define potency. Irrespective of the definition used patients undergoing prostatic fascia preserving radical prostatectomy have significantly better potency outcomes than patients undergoing conventional nerve sparing robotic prostatectomy at 12 months of followup.

OBJECTIVESTo report updated results, at 1 year of followup, of a modified nerve-sparing robotic radical prostatectomy that preserves the lateral prostatic fascia (Veil of Aphrodite). PATIENTS AND METHODSFrom January to December 2003, 154 consecutive men had a Vattikuti Institute prostatectomy with Veil of Aphrodite nervesparing by one surgeon. A prospective database recorded patient demographics, intraoperative, peri-operative, and pathological variables. Peri-operative complications were recorded using the Clavien classification. Patients had serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels measured every 3 months and selfadministered the International Prostate Symptom Score and Sexual Health Inventory for Male questionnaires before and at 1 year after surgery. RESULTSThe men had a mean age of 57.4 years, a mean body mass index of 27.2 kg/m 2 , and a mean PSA level before surgery of 5.11 ng/mL. The mean operative duration was 122 min. At 1 year, 96% of the men reported having had intercourse and 71% had recovered normal erectile function. One man had a Clavien grade II complication, 4.6% of men with organ-confined disease had positive surgical margins, and no patient had a PSA recurrence at 12 months; 97% of the men were continent at 1 year, and the median time to continence was 14 days.