Penile rehabilitation after nerve-sparing prostatectomy: Fact or fiction?

A 65-year-old man is seen in the clinic two months after a robot-assisted bilateral nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy. He is completely continent and has been since the catheter was removed. The main reason for his referral is erectile dysfunction. Pre-operatively his SHIM score was 25 (maximum score 25). He currently experiences some thickening with stimulation, and an erection hardness score of 2. He has a pleasurable sensation of orgasm during which he remains dry. His sex drive remains normal. He has a long-standing history of hypertension and raised LDL cholesterol, managed with amlodipine and simvastatin respectively. He has no other overt cardiovascular or ischaemic heart disease, and he is not a diabetic, but has an elevated fasting glucose of 6.0 mmol per litre. He stopped smoking five years ago, is 5 feet 11 inches tall, a weight of 95 kg, has a waist measurement of 44 inches (BMI 29 – upper end of overweight) (range 30.00 obese). He performs no regular exercise. His wife is 60. He is keen to try to regain his erectile function.