Gaeta, October 25, 2025 – UROP Regional Congress
The UROP (Society of Urology for Private Healthcare) Regional Congress took place in Gaeta on October 25th. This significant event brought together urologists from across Italy to debate urgent clinical and surgical topics.
Among the prominent guests, Dr. Gabriele Antonini was invited to deliver a master lecture on the subject of penile prostheses, addressing the delicate and crucial question: “How, when, and to whom should this device be implanted?”
Hosted by Dr. Francesco Barrese and Dr. Domenico Tuzzolo, Dr. Antonini highlighted the importance of rigorous patient selection, asserting that individuals suffering from chronic erectile deficit unresponsive to oral pharmacological treatments represent the optimal candidates for the implantation of a three-piece hydraulic penile prosthesis.
“Medications constitute an on-demand therapy – Antonini clarified – while the true and decisive cure for severe erectile dysfunction is the prosthetic implant. It restores stable, secure, and durable sexual function.”
A particularly innovative theme that emerged during the presentation is the proposal for implantation contextual to robotic prostatectomy in oncological patients.
Contextual Implantation and Advantages
Antonini stressed how, in the presence of pre-operative erectile deficit, it is extremely advantageous to proceed with the prosthesis implantation during the same surgical session:
-
It prevents penile shortening (up to 0.5 cm per year post-intervention);
-
It significantly reduces the risk of post-operative depression;
-
It spares the patient lengthy, costly, and often ineffective rehabilitation pathways;
-
It alleviates the economic burden on the National Healthcare Service (SSN), which is currently burdened by considerable expenditure on oral therapies with limited efficacy in this specific patient category.
Dr. Antonini’s address garnered great interest and participation, confirming the essential role of prosthetic surgery in the treatment of severe erectile dysfunction and within the scope of post-tumoral functional rehabilitation.
An authoritative voice urging the urological community to a profound re-evaluation of strategies, clinical pathways, and priorities, focusing attention on the actual quality of life of patients.
