Erections usually begin to return as partial erections 3 to 6 months after surgery and then continue to improve for about 12 months after surgery, as the nerves recover from the trauma of surgery. Despite the expert application of the nerve-sparing prostatectomy technique, early recovery of natural erectile function is uncommon. Even when the nerve-sparing surgery is performed with meticulous technique, patients generally do not recover erectile function as quickly as they do urinary continence.