Liver transplant may improve erectile function in patients with benign end-stage liver disease: single-center Chinese experience.

OBJECTIVES No investigation in mainland China concerning erectile function in men with liver transplant for benign end-stage liver disease has been performed. MATERIALS AND METHODS Sixty men with a liver transplant for benign end-stage liver disease (post-liver transplant group) between October 2003 and December 2008 were invited to evaluate erectile dysfunction with the Chinese version of the 5-item international index of erectile function. Fifty-seven patients with benign end-stage liver disease (pre-liver transplant group) on the waiting list also were investigated. RESULTS The proportion of sexually active patients in the post-liver transplant group was higher than it was in the pre-liver transplant group (80% [48/60] vs 47.7% [21/44]; P < .01). The mean International Index of Erectile Function-5 score of responders was significantly higher in the post-liver transplant group than it was in the pre-liver transplant group (15.9 ± 8.5 vs 8.5 ± 9.1; P < .01). The incidences of no erectile dysfunction, mild, mild-moderate, moderate, and severe erectile dysfunction and total erectile dysfunction were 15.9% (7/44), 9.1% (4/44), 15.9% (7/44), 0% (0/44), 59.1% (26/44), and 84.1% (37/44) in the pre-liver transplant group, and 33.3% (20/60), 20% (12/60), 25% (15/60), 0 (0/60), 21.7% (13/60), and 66.7% (40/60) in the post-liver transplant group. The pre-liver transplant group had higher incidence of severe erectile dysfunction and total erectile dysfunction and a lower incidence of no erectile dysfunction than did the post-liver transplant group (P < .05). There was a comparable incidence of mild and mild-moderate erectile dysfunction with the post-liver transplant group (P > .05). Variables associated with International Index of Erectile Function-5 score of the post-liver transplant patients included age, profession, and immunosuppressive protocol. CONCLUSIONS Liver transplant may improve erectile function in persons with benign end-stage liver disease, but erectile dysfunction remains a problem in the post-liver transplant patients.