Abstract Introduction Depression and anxiety related to sexual performance is common among men with Erectile Dysfunction (ED), but it is unclear whether ED treatment helps to relieve this psychological distress. Objective The objective of this project was to assess relief from depression and/or anxiety by comparing validated assessment scores as well as prescriptions for medications, before and after a penile implant. Methods This analysis included males receiving an initial penile prosthesis implant for ED (2012-2024) in a retrospective cohort of electronic health records from U.S. healthcare systems compiled by Truveta. Validated questionnaires (Patient Health Questionnaire PHQ or Generalized Anxiety Disorder GAD) assessed depression and anxiety. Prescriptions for anti-depressant or anti-anxiety medication within the year prior to the penile prosthesis implant served as a surrogate. The analysis compared questionnaire scores and prescriptions pre- vs. post-implant. Results At the questionnaire closest and prior to their penile prosthesis implant, 255 men reported depression and/or anxiety classified as mild or greater. Among patients with mild distress (pre-implant PHQ4 scores = 3), the mean PHQ4 score improved by 53.7% post-implant (p=0.006). Similarly, PHQ9 scores for depression improved by 23.5% (p=0.001) post-implant among those with pre-implant PHQ9 scores = 5 (at least mild depression). In contrast, GAD2 and GAD7 anxiety scores showed no significant change. For the medication analysis, 597 men had prescriptions for depression and/or anxiety medications in the year prior to penile prosthesis implant. In the year following implantation, 39.2% discontinued depression/anxiety prescriptions post-implant, compared to 30.5% in ED patients without a prosthesis (p0.05). Conclusions Validated psychological assessments suggest a need for attention to the long-term psychological health of patients with ED and demonstrate a significant association between receiving a penile prosthesis and relief from depression. The results emphasize the importance of screening for and considering options for management of depression and anxiety among patients suffering from ED. Disclosure Yes, this is sponsored by industry/sponsor: Boston Scientific Clarification: Industry initiated, executed and funded study Any of the authors act as a consultant, employee or shareholder of an industry for: Consultant: Endo, Marius, Besins Stock: Sprout
Khera et al. (Mon,) studied this question.