OBJECTIVETo evaluate erectile function in men with renal failure before and after kidney transplantation and the effects of different methods of renal arterial anastomosis.

METHODSFifty-five married males, aged 22-50 years, who had received kidney transplantation at least one year before and whose serum creatinine was under 200 micromol/L , were selected in the study. The end-to-end revascularization to the internal iliac artery was accomplished in 39 of them, and the end-to-side revascularization to the external iliac artery was conducted in 16. Their erectile function was investigated according to the International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5) before kidney transplantation and 3, 6 and 9 months after it. The effects of different methods of renal arterial anastomosis were evaluated and hypophyseal hormones determined in 25 of them.

RESULTSIIEF-5 was higher in the patients 3, 6 and 9 months after transplantation than before it (P < 0.05) and 6 and 9 months after transplantation than 3 months after it (P < 0.05) , so was it in the patients with less than 12 months hemodialysis than those with over 12 months (P < 0.05) and in the patients with end-to-side revascularization to the external iliac artery than those with end-to-end revascularization to the internal iliac artery (P < 0.05). The differences between the level of hypophyseal hormones and that of sex hormones before transplantation were significant (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONErectile function and the level of hypophyseal hormones were improved after kidney transplantation, and the patients who received end-to-side revascularization to the external iliac artery experienced better erectile function recovery than those who underwent end-to-end revascularization to the internal iliac artery.