On September 17, 2025, the Regional AURO Congress (Italian Urologists Association) took place in Rome, a key event for the Italian urological community. Among the most awaited speakers, Dr. Gabriele Antonini, an international expert in penile prosthetic surgery, delivered a powerful presentation on a frequently overlooked topic: erectile dysfunction in patients operated on for prostate cancer.
After prostatectomy, the assistance gap
Antonini highlighted how, in everyday clinical practice, prostate cancer patients are often, politely but clearly, “discharged” after surgery. They receive a standard prescription of tadalafil 5 mg, and then are left alone. No real follow-up, no concrete solutions, no attention to the emotional and functional distress caused by the loss of erection.
“It’s as if, once the oncological issue is solved, everything else becomes a detail — Antonini stated — but sexuality is not a detail. It is part of quality of life.”
Penile prostheses: a concrete solution
During his talk, Antonini showed the results of an innovative project carried out in collaboration with:
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Circolo Hospital and Macchi Foundation in Varese, with Dr. Federico Deho’,
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San Filippo Neri Hospital in Rome, with Dr. Marco Martini.
In these centers, it was possible to implant the penile prosthesis simultaneously during radical prostatectomy. Eight patients have already benefited from this “two-in-one” approach, which solves both the oncological and functional problem in a single surgical procedure.
A right denied to men
Antonini also made a strong but effective comparison: “Women who undergo breast surgery are guaranteed, also by the National Health Service, the possibility of breast reconstruction with prostheses. Why isn’t the same possibility offered to men? It is time to recognize that male sexuality is not optional.”
Beyond the human aspect, Dr. Antonini also emphasized the economic aspect: post-operative medications are expensive and ineffective, with a significant economic burden for the National Health Service, while the implantation of a prosthesis would resolve the problem at its root, also improving patient satisfaction.
A call to the urological community and residents
The talk ended with a clear call: to create high-volume national referral centers dedicated not only to robotic oncology but also to post-surgical sexual rehabilitation, training young urologists who focus on function, not just disease.
“Prosthetic surgery is not a luxury, it is a real answer to the need for dignity, identity, and quality of life. We can no longer ignore it.” –
Dr. Gabriele Antonini
