Table 1.

Different nerve-sparing grading systems.

Nerve-Sparing Grading System	References	Anatomical Landmark	Number of Grades	Description of Different Grades
Fascial planes	Stolzenburg et al. [14]	Periprostatic fasciae	3	Intrafascial Interfascial Extrafascial
Extent of nerve-sparing	Montorsi et al. [22]	Neurovascular bundles	3	Full nerve-sparing (matches to an intrafascial dissection) Partial nerve-sparing (matches to an interfascial dissection) Minimal nerve-sparing (matches to a partial extrafascial dissection)
4-degree approach for preservation of the neurovascular bundles	Tewari et al. [23]	The veins which are situated on the lateral aspect of the prostate	4	Grade 1 (matches to a complete intrafascial dissection) Grade 2 (matches to an interfascial dissection) Grade 3 Grade 4 (matches to an extrafascial dissection)
5-degree approach for the definition of the dissection planes	Schatloff et al. [24]	The “landmark artery” (LA), which runs on the lateral aspect of the prostate	5	Grade 1 (matches to an extrafascial dissection) Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 (matches to a complete intrafascial dissection)