A patient undergoing pelvic surgery has the inferior hypogastric plexus injured bilaterally. Which functional deficit would NOT be expected?

• A Loss of sensation from the descending colon and sigmoid ✓
• B Inability to achieve erection (erectile dysfunction)
• C Failure of ejaculation with retrograde ejaculation
• D Urinary retention and bladder dysfunction

Explanation

The inferior hypogastric (pelvic) plexus (at S2–S4 level) provides parasympathetic innervation to bladder, prostate, and genital erectile tissue; its disruption causes urinary retention and erectile dysfunction. Sympathetic fibers via the hypogastric nerves supply the vas deferens and seminal vesicles for emission/ejaculation; injury causes failure of emission or retrograde ejaculation. Visceral afferents from the descending colon and sigmoid travel with sympathetic fibers via the superior hypogastric plexus (L1-L2 level), not the inferior plexus; pain from these structures would not be affected by inferior plexus injury.

Reference: BD Chaurasia's Human Anatomy, 8th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.