Taha Qazi, MD: Male Sexual Dysfunction Following Ulcerative Colitis Surgery

New research indicates that male sexual dysfunction is more common in patients with restorative ileo anal pouch anastomosis (IPAA) after proctocolectomy, a surgery commonly used for patients with ulcerative colitis, than it is in the general population.

In an interview with HCPLive® during the 2022 Digestive Disease Week (2022) Annual Meeting in San Diego, Taha Qazi, MD, Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Cleveland Clinic, explained the results of a new study and what the knowledge of an increased risk of male sexual dysfunction can do for patients.

Qazi said that male sexual dysfunction is likely more common in these patients because of nerve damage caused by the surgery.

Overall, males who have this surgery have twice as likely chance of having male sexual dysfunction.

“This is something that’s common,” Qazi said. “One of the things we don’t talk about as clinicians and physicians is male sexual dysfunction with our patients.”

He said the data should give clinicians comfort to begin conversations with patients because it might be more common than previously believed.

The study, which looked at more than 40,000 patients with ulcerative colitis who had IPAA found 1940 cases of male sexual dysfunction. However, Qazi said the surgery is absolutely necessary for many and the sexual dysfunction can be treated with available medications.