Comparison of preoperative and postoperative sexual dysfunction in male patients with lumbar disc herniation

Abstract

AIM: To compare preoperative and postoperative sexual dysfunction in male patients diagnosed with lumbar disc herniation (LDH). MATERIAL and METHODS: This study was conducted in a single group with a pretest???posttest design. The sample included 32 male patients with LDH admitted to the neurosurgery outpatient clinic of a state hospital between August 1, 2019 and November 1, 2020 and who were about to undergo operation. The data were collected using a questionnaire form developed by the researchers, the Golombok???Rust Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction (GRISS), and the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Descriptive statistical methods, Mann???Whitney U test, Wilcoxon test, and Spearman correlation analysis were used to evaluate the data. Significance was evaluated at the level of p < 0.05. RESULTS: Before LDH surgery, male patients had problems with sub-dimensions of sexual function, such as frequency, communication, avoidance, touching, impotence, and premature ejaculation. A significant improvement was achieved after the operation in the communication sub-dimension and pain levels. The mean preoperative and postoperative VAS scores of the patients were 8.18 ?? 1.20 and 1.28 ?? 1.08, respectively. CONCLUSION: Lumbar disc surgery has a positive effect on sexual function and reduces pain levels. Since there is a strong relationship between LDH and sexual dysfunction, taking sexual history from patients should be part of routine medical history, and psychiatric care and consultation should be offered if necessary.