Peyronie’s Disease causes a male’s penis to bend or curve abnormally when he experiences an erection. The growth and proliferation of fibrous plaques (fibrous scar tissue) beneath the skin of the penis cause the curvature. The anomalous bending of the penis during erection can be quite painful for the individual.
It is quite normal for the male sex organ to somewhat arch when fully erect. However, if the curvature tends to be considerable, a man may not be able to enjoy coitus. The abnormality could lead to men experiencing difficulty in having or maintaining an erection-a medical condition known as ‘erectile dysfunction.’
Understandably enough, men suffering from Peyronie’s Disease have to undergo a lot of anxiety. More often than not, the condition resolves automatically, but sometimes the problem aggravates in due course. The condition can be corrected using first and second line treatment methods.
However, surgical intervention becomes indispensable when first and second line treatment options prove ineffective.
Treatment options for Peyronie’s Disease
We get many patients on a recurrent basis who opines “I have Peyronie’s disease. What are my options”? For a start, we try to find out the symptoms and the length of time they’ve been suffering from the same. We also carry out a physical evaluation.
Our doctors normally adopt a wait and watch policy if we observe that the patient experiences negligible pain, and the bending doesn’t aggravate. We only recommend surgery as a last resort when we notice significant changes in symptomsover a year.
Medications
We advise medicinal therapies and injectable drugs for mild cases of Peyronie’s Disease. We suggest a set of 6-12 Verapamil injections for softening the fibrous palates. Based on our past experiences, we’ve seen that the injections usually prove effective in preventing further curvature of the penis.
We prescribe Clostridium hystolyticum (Xiaflex) medicine (the sole drug approved by FDA) for individuals whose penises’ incline 30˚ or above during erection. Sometimes, we recommend nondrug therapies, including vacuum devices, penile traction, and shock wave treatments.
Surgical procedures for Peyronie’s Disease
Our urologists advise going under the scalpel only if the bending restricts the patient from enjoying effective intercourse. There are two distinct ways in which we perform a surgery-we either lengthen or shorten the penis from one side.
Elongating the penis
To allow the stretching of the sheathing, we excise the scar tissue at several sections. The normal stretching of the sheath allows the male to achieve an erection without any curvature. We remove portions of the fibrous scar tissue during the operation and regraft the same over the excised section.
This procedure tends to be more suitable for men with a very pronounced bending or a short penis.
Shortening the penis from one side
According to this process, the unaffected end (the side without scar tissues) is shortened for remedying the curvature during erection. However, the surgical process causes a shortening of the penis, and hence recommended for men with a lengthy penis (longer than normal).
Conclusion
The medical practitioners at our Fifth Avenue Urology specialize in urology and therefore excel in furnishing quality urological services. Our urologists fully empathize with patients grappling different urological problems. Men with Peyronie’s Disease may not be able to lead an active sex life. Hence, patients diagnosed with the condition should get in touch with one of the best urologists in NYC.
We encourage men suffering from Peyronie’s Disease to visit our Fifth Avenue Urology clinic in Upper East Side in Manhattan for consultation and treatment.
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