Radiation dose to the neurovascular bundles or penile bulb does not predict erectile dysfunction after prostate brachytherapy.

Purpose: To examine the relationship between calculated doses to the neurovascular bundles (NVBs) and the penile bulb (PB) and the development of erectile dysfunction (ED) after low-dose-rate prostate brachytherapy (LDRPB) alone.

Methods And Materials: Between September 1997 and June 1999, 84 men were treated with LDRPB alone. Inclusion criteria for this study were (1) no ED according to a self-administered questionnaire before PB, (2) treatment with PB alone (125I; 144 Gy), (3) postimplant CT scan of the prostate 1 month after PB, and (4) minimum of 24 months of continuous follow-up.