Improving erectile function recovery after prostate cancer surgery
Official title: Preserving Erectile Function by Quantifying the Nerve-Sparing step of the Robotic Prostatectomy
Funded at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center · NIH-10862724 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at ways to help men recover better erectile function after surgery for prostate cancer by teaching surgeons better techniques through video analysis and virtual reality training.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Cedars-Sinai Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | July 7, 2022 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $697,192 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA273031-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-10862724 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are men undergoing robot-assisted radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not undergoing prostate cancer surgery or those with pre-existing erectile dysfunction may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how to enhance the recovery of erectile function in patients undergoing robot-assisted radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer. By analyzing surgical videos, the study aims to identify key technical factors that surgeons can focus on to improve patient outcomes. The project includes developing a performance assessment tool and a virtual reality simulation to provide feedback to surgeons on their nerve-sparing techniques. This approach seeks to standardize and improve surgical practices to benefit patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved erectile function recovery rates for patients after prostate cancer surgery.
How similar studies have gone: Other research has shown promise in using video analysis and performance feedback to improve surgical outcomes, indicating that this approach could be effective.
Where this research is happening
-
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hung, Andrew — Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Hung, Andrew
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
New Diaphragm-like implant to prevent urinary leakage after prostate cancer surgery
A resorbable implant placed at the time of prostate cancer surgery helps men regain bladder control faster and reduces the need for pads or secondary procedures.
-
Pelvic fascia-sparing radical prostatectomy: a better-path to fewer side effects
A large research project tests a new surgical approach for prostate cancer that may reduce urinary leakage and erectile problems after surgery.
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Preserving Erectile Function during Robotic Prostate Surgery by Measuring Nerve-Sparing Technique
Aims to create an objective way to measure how well surgeons perform the nerve-sparing part of robot-assisted prostate cancer surgery to help patients keep erectile function.
-
Tools that light up cancer and nerves during prostate removal
This project develops cameras and safe fluorescent dyes to show prostate cancer margins and nearby nerves in real time during prostate removal surgery for men with prostate cancer.
-
PSMA-PET imaging to guide prostate removal and protect nerves
This will see if a PSMA-PET scan using the 68Ga-P16-093 tracer can help surgeons choose nerve- and muscle-sparing surgery versus wider removal for men having prostatectomy for prostate cancer.
-
Pelvic fascia-sparing prostate surgery
This research compares a pelvic fascia-sparing prostate removal to standard prostate surgery to try to lower long-term urinary and sexual side effects for men with localized prostate cancer.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.