Sexual and urinary dysfunction following surgery for sigmoid colon cancer.

We investigated sexual and urinary dysfunction following surgery for sigmoid colon cancer. Thirteen (46.4 per cent) of the 28 male patients with a normal sexual life prior to surgery could no longer ejaculate, but all could maintain erection. With the extension of lymph node dissection, the incidence of a disappearance of ejaculation tended to increase. In particular, in patients undergoing an extended lymph node dissection, the incidence was 53.8 per cent. Urinary dysfunction occurred in 7 (10.3 per cent) of the 68 patients (37 men and 31 women), but was slight to mild. There were no significant differences between the extent of lymph node dissection and urinary dysfunction. In surgery for sigmoid colon cancer, care should be taken to preserve the hypogastric nerves.