Penile Sensory Changes After Plaque Incision and Grafting Surgery for Peyronie's Disease

Patients' attitude with surgery for Peyronie's disease: results from a multicentric European study

BACKGROUND

Despite the existence of conservative therapies for Peyronie's disease (PD), surgery is commonly utilized for the treatment of bothersome curvatures due to its potential effectiveness, although it carries intrinsic risks and may not universally lead to satisfactory outcomes.

AIM

To explore the rate and factors influencing patients' willingness to undergo surgery for PD.

METHODS

Data were prospectively collected in 5 European academic centers between 2016 and 2020. Data included age, time from PD onset, penile pain, curvature degree, difficulty at penetration, hourglass deformity, erectile dysfunction (ED), and previous treatments. All patients were offered conservative treatments, either medications or injections. Tunical shortening or lengthening procedures were offered as an alternative to conservative treatments, when indicated. Penile prosthesis was offered to those with concomitant ED. Patients' attitudes with surgery were recorded. Logistic regression analyses tested the profile of patients who were more likely to be willing to undergo surgery.

OUTCOMES

Patients' willingness to undergo surgery for PD.

RESULTS

This study included 343 patients with a median age of 57.3 years (IQR, 49.8-63.6) and a median penile curvature of 40.0° (IQR, 30.0°-65.0°). Overall, 161 (47%) experienced penetration difficulties and 134 (39%) reported ED. Additionally, hourglass deformity and penile shortening were reported by 48 (14%) and 157 (46%), respectively. As for previous treatments, 128 (37%) received tadalafil once daily; 54 (16%) and 44 (13%), intraplaque verapamil and collagenase injections; and 30 (9%), low-intensity shock wave therapy. Significant curvature reduction (≥20°) was observed in 69 (20%) cases. Only 126 (37%) patients were open to surgery for PD when suggested. At logistic regression analysis after adjusting for confounders, younger age (odds ratio [OR], 0.97; 95% CI, 0.95-1.00; P = .02), more severe curvatures (OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.03-1.06; P < .0001), and difficulty in penetration (OR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.04-3.41; P = .03) were associated with a greater attitude to consider surgical treatment.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

The need for effective nonsurgical treatments for PD is crucial, as is comprehensive patient counseling regarding surgical risks and benefits, particularly to younger males with severe curvatures.

STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS

Main limitations are the cross-sectional design and the potential neglect of confounding factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with PD, having a lower inclination toward surgery, emphasize the need for effective nonsurgical alternatives and accurate counseling on the risks and benefits of PD surgery, particularly for younger men with severe curvatures.

A novel technique for unilateral dissection of the penile neurovascular bundle to prevent loss of penile sensation during treatment of Peyronie's disease-Initial results of a pilot study

Background

Plaque incision/excision and grafting are surgical techniques used to treat patients with Peyronie's disease who are refractory to less invasive interventions, have severe penile curvature, or have an hourglass deformity. However, the procedure carries the risk of penile sensory loss because of the need for dissection of the neurovascular bundle (NVB). The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of a novel technique for unilateral NVB dissection and its ability to preserve penile sensitivity while maintaining adequate correction of the penile curvature.

Materials and methods

Charts of patients who underwent unilateral NVB dissection during Peyronie's plaque incision/excision and grafting were retrospectively reviewed. All patients received preprocedural intracavernosal injections of TriMix, and the curvature was measured to be >70 degrees. In 3 cases, an incision and minimal excision of the plaque were performed at the point of maximum curvature on the concave side of the curvature. In 3 cases, Tutoplast allografts (Coloplast US, Minneapolis, MN) were used, whereas autografts were used in 2 other cases. All patients were examined at 1, 3, and 6 months after the procedure when curvature and penile sensation were assessed.

Results

Five patients underwent this procedure. The mean age of patients was 55 years (45-70 years). All plaques were dorsally located. The mean preoperative curvature was 78 degrees (75-90 degrees). At the 6-month follow-up, all patients had <15 degrees residual curvature and were satisfied with their cosmetic results. Only 1 patient continued with phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors to improve potency at the 6-month follow-up. All patients reported normal penile glans sensation. Four patients experienced decreased sensation at the site of NVB dissection, but this was only detected when compared with the contralateral side. Only 2 patients reported a difference after 6 months, and only a minor area of involvement was noted.

Conclusions

Unilateral NVB dissection is a feasible technique that does not compromise surgical success in curvature correction and helps avoid sensory injury to the penile glans.

The use of a polyglycolic acid polymer graft in Peyronie's disease - preliminary outcomes

OBJECTIVE

Plaque incision and grafting is indicated for patients with Peyronie's Disease [PD] and severe curvature, complex deformities or for patients with significant penile shortening. To date, no graft studied has been considered ideal. The aim of this study is to conduct a descriptive analysis about functional results with the use of a bioabsorbable graft for PD treatment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A single-center, retrospective evaluation of a cohort of patients who were treated by plaque incision and grafting with a polyglycolic acid polymer graft (Gore® Bio-A®) between 2018 and 2021 was conducted. Correction of penile curvature was the main outcome. Loss of penile sensitivity, de novo erectile dysfunction and any other adverse event were the secondary endpoints.

RESULTS

14 patients were included in this study (mean age 59.5 ± 7.2 years). The median follow-up time was 12 months (range 3-12). The curvature correction rate was 78.5%. Glans hypoesthesia was present in one of 14 patients (7.1%) and refractory erectile dysfunction was reported in 64.2%. None of the patients presented any major adverse event based on Clavien-Dindo classification.

CONCLUSIONS

Curvature correction and changes in penile sensitivity rates were similar to those found in the literature. No major surgical complications, such as graft rejection, infection, and extrusion, occurred in this sample. Although a population with a higher prevalence of erectile dysfunction was included in this sample, higher rates of refractory erectile dysfunction were observed and these findings should be confirmed in further studies.

Surgical Correction of Adult Congenital Penile Curvature: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Congenital penile curvature (CPC) is corrected surgically by various corporoplasty or tunica albuginea plication techniques, but the optimal surgical approach is not well-defined.

AIM

To provide a comprehensive evaluation of the published literature pertaining to outcomes with penile plication and corporoplasty techniques for surgical management of CPC. To determine if plication or corporoplasty offers superior outcomes in surgical correction of CPC.

METHODS

A systematic review was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Checklist. The following databases were queried from inception to March 18, 2020 to search for studies describing surgical treatment of CPC: Ovid MEDLINE(R) and Epub Ahead of Print, In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations and Daily, Ovid Embase, Ovid Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Ovid Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Scopus.

OUTCOMES

Objective and subjective postoperative outcomes including penile straightening, shortening, penile sensory changes, and reoperation rates for both corporoplasty and tunica albuginea plication were summarized.

RESULTS

Fifty-five articles comprising 2,956 patients with CPC who underwent a plication procedure (n = 1,375) or corporoplasty (n = 1,580) were included. The definition of "treatment success" varied widely and most often involved subjective patient reporting (22 studies; 40%) or objective assessment (15 studies; 27%). We considered curvature correction to be satisfactory if there was self-reported patient satisfaction or residual curvature after correction of <20˚. Reported rates of successful straightening ranged from 75 to 100% and 73 to 100% for plication and corporoplasty, respectively. A comprehensive and accurate assessment of surgical outcomes for CPC correction, such as satisfactory penile straightening, reoperation rates, glans sensory changes, and other complications was limited by significant inter-study heterogeneity with respect to the reporting of treatment outcomes.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

While both plication and corporoplasty appear to be safe and effective options in the treatment of CPC, definitive conclusions cannot be drawn with respect to treatment superiority due to low-quality study design, methodology flaws, and significant heterogeneity in reporting.

STRENGTH & LIMITATIONS

This report represents the most comprehensive review of CPC surgical management. However, there is a significant lack of standardization in the reporting of treatment outcomes for CPC, thereby limiting the reliability of the published data summarization encompassed by our review.

CONCLUSION

Both plication and corporoplasty demonstrate high success rates and relatively low complication rates in the treatment of CPC, albeit with low-level evidence available in most research publications. Robust comparison of the surgical techniques used to correct CPC is limited by significant variation in reporting methods used in the literature. C. J. Britton, F. A. Jefferson, B. L. Findlay, et al. Surgical Correction of Adult Congenital Penile Curvature: A Systematic Review. J Sex Med 2022;19:364-376.

ESSM Position Statement on Surgical Treatment of Peyronie's Disease

INTRODUCTION

Patients with Peyronie's disease may experience significat distress. The choice of treatment depends on a variety of factors, including the stage of the disease, the presence of pain, severity and direction of the curvature, penile length and the quality of erectile function.

AIM

To review the evidence associated with surgical treatment of Peyronie`s Disease and provide clinical recommendations on behalf of the European Society for Sexual Medicine. 131 peer-reviewed studies and systematic reviews, which were published from 2009 to 2019 in the English language, were included.

METHODS

MEDLINE, Google Scholar and EMBASE were searched for randomized clinical trials, meta-analyses, open-label prospective and retrospective studies.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

The panel provided statements on clinically relevant questions including patient involvement in the decision process, indications for surgery, choice of the approach, and the management of patient expectations. A comparison of the different grafts used in patients who have undergone plaque incision/excision and grafting in order to identify an ideal graft, has been carried out. The prevalence of postoperative complications has been summarized. Levels of evidence were provided according to the Oxford 2011 criteria and Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine recommendations.

RESULTS

In order to allow shared decision making, a patient preoperative counselling regarding the pros and cons of each intervention is recommended. In particular, adverse effects of surgical treatments should be discussed to set realistic understanding and expectations of surgical outcomes and ultimately improve postoperative satisfaction rates. Surgical treatment should be only offered in the chronic phase of the condition, when the deformity and/or degree of erectile dysfunction, prevent patients from engaging in satisfying sexual interaction, or if the deformity is the cause of severe bother.

CONCLUSIONS

Current European Society for Sexual Medicine recommendations cover several aspects of Peyronie's disease treatment. These recommendations aim both to ensure patients and partners have accurate and realistic expectations of their treatment options, as well as to formulate algorithms to guide clinician management pathways. Osmonov D. et al., ESSM Position Statement on Surgical Treatment of Peyronie's Disease. Sex Med 2022;10:100459.

Penile Prosthesis Implantation Combined With Grafting Techniques in Patients With Peyronie's Disease and Erectile Dysfunction: A Systematic Review

INTRODUCTION

Penile prosthesis (PP) implantation combined with grafting techniques is indicated in patients with Peyronie's disease (PD) and erectile dysfunction (ED) nonresponsive to medical and conservative treatment that present with residual penile curvature greater than 30°, severe penile deformity or significant penile shortening.

OBJECTIVES

To address the preoperative evaluation, the surgical procedure and the functional outcomes of grafting techniques combined with PP implantation in patients with PD and concomitant ED and to provide future perspectives on the matter.

METHODS

We performed a systematic review of the literature based on the PRISMA statement (PROSPERO ID: CRD42021224517). Records were identified by searching Medline, Scopus, The Cochrane Library and Web of Science databases as well as sources of gray literature from inception to December 2020. The quality of all included records was assessed based on a modified version of the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for cohort studies.

RESULTS

A total of 935 patients with a mean age of 59.6 ± 9.2 years from 23 studies were included in this systematic review. All studies reported excellent short- and long-term postoperative results, as well as high satisfaction rates ranging from 80 to 100%. A mean increase of 2.7 ± 1.4 cm in penile length was observed. Among different grafting materials and different types of PP, no significant differences in terms of preoperative, perioperative and postoperative functional outcomes or complications were demonstrated. Still, the operative time was shorter in studies applying the collagen fleece TachoSil.

CONCLUSIONS

PP implantation combined with grafting is a safe and highly effective surgical procedure in patients with PD and concomitant ED. All grafting materials provide similar beneficial outcomes, but TachoSil subsequently reduces the operative time and does not require suturing. Still, no definite conclusions can be drawn regarding the superiority of one grafting technique over the other, as randomized clinical trials are lacking. Sokolakis I, Pyrgidis N, Ziegelmann M, et al. Penile Prosthesis Implantation Combined With Grafting Techniques in Patients With Peyronie's Disease and Erectile Dysfunction: A Systematic Review. Sex Med Rev 2021;XX:XXX-XXX.

Long-term outcomes after plaque incision and grafting for Peyronie's disease: comparison of porcine dermal and bovine pericardium grafts

BACKGROUND

Plaque incision and grafting (PEG) is one of the mainstays in surgical therapy for severe penile curvature in Peyronie's disease (PD). Different kinds of grafts are available for covering albugineal defects during PEG, both allografts and xenografts. However, to date, none of these proved superior to others.

OBJECTIVES

To compare two different types of xenograft, porcine dermal matrix and bovine pericardium matrix in PEG for PD.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

From 2010 to 2019, 63 patients with PD underwent PEG, using porcine dermal (n = 25; Group 1) and bovine pericardium (n = 38; Group 2) grafts. Long-term outcomes were evaluated through multi-disciplinary questionnaires administration by phone interview. The following items were considered: correction of penile bending, quality of erection, intercourse ability, penile shortening, and sensitiveness. Overall satisfaction and impact of surgery on sexual activity and quality of life were also investigated.

RESULTS

Plaque median (IQR) size was 29 (22-33) mm and was smaller in Group 1 (27.5 vs. 31 mm; P = .03). Complete follow-up data were available for 53 patients (84%). Considering post-operative outcomes, no differences were found when considering ED rates, penile shortening, sensitiveness, complications, and penile straightening (all P > .1). Patients in Group 2 were more likely to have palpable penile nodules at follow-up (20.6 vs. 0%; P = .03). However, patient's post-operative sexual life satisfaction was consistent between the two groups, with just 1 (5.3) and 8 (23.5) patients in Group 1 and 2 respectively referring a worsening in sexual life satisfaction (P = 0.2). At follow-up, 84.9% of patients that would still undergo surgery for PD, with no statistical difference between the two groups (P = .4).

CONCLUSIONS

Corporoplasty with PEG is an effective treatment for men with PD. Porcine dermal and bovine pericardium xenografts seem to have similar long-term outcomes.

Home modeling after penile prosthesis implantation in the management of residual curvature in Peyronie's disease

The aim of this study was to study the clinical effectiveness of a structured home modeling (HM) protocol in Peyronie's disease (PD) patients who have residual curvature up to 45° after inflatable penile prosthesis (PP) placement. A total of 92 patients with PD and coexistent refractory erectile dysfunction received inflatable PP. If residual curvature after manual modeling (MM) was more than 45°, incision-grafting was performed. If curvature was <45° after MM, patients were instructed to perform HM daily for 6 months, after 4 weeks from PP implantation. The mean preoperative penile curvature was 39.4 ± 5.7° (30-60). Sixteen (17.4%) patients required incision-grafting and the remaining 76(82.6%) patients followed HM protocol. The mean postoperative residual curvature after MM was 29.7 ± 3.2° (5-50). Sixty-five (85.5%) patients who underwent HM had 10° or less residual curvature after 3 months and 72 (94.7%) patients had 10° or less residual curvature after 6 months. Seventy (92.1%) patients responded as satisfied or very satisfied on the questionnaire with the outcome after 6 months. HM of the penis over Inflatable PP may straighten the penis without the need for an additional surgical maneuver in vast majority of the PD patients having residual curvature of <45°.

[Reconstructive possibilities for Peyronie's disease]

The surgical treatment of Peyronie's disease involves a multistage procedure with increasing invasiveness. In addition to precise knowledge about the existing surgical treatment procedures, the indication and the informed consent process of the patient is extremely important. The dissatisfaction with the surgical results for many patients is due to false expectations and positivistic representations. If we can avoid this and make the right decisions during surgery, even these difficult-to-treat patients can be treated successfully.

Peyronie's disease: Contemporary evaluation and management

Peyronie's disease is a common yet poorly understood condition characterized by penile pain, curvature, sexual dysfunction and psychological bother. Peyronie's disease represents a penile wound healing disorder, and is thought to arise from exuberant scarring in response to penile trauma in genetically predisposed men. In the absence of active treatment, the majority of men experience stable or worsening symptoms, with few reporting spontaneous resolution in penile curvature or other deformity. In contrast, penile pain improves or resolves in the majority of men. Treatment options vary based on symptom severity and stability. Several oral therapies are commonly prescribed, although to date there are no strong data to support any oral agents as monotherapy for Peyronie's disease. Other options including penile traction therapy and intralesional injections result in modest improvements for many patients, particularly when used early after symptom onset. Penile straightening through approaches, such as penile plication and plaque incision or partial excision and grafting, represent the most rapid and reliable approach to correct penile curvature once the symptoms have stabilized. Side-effects vary based on the type of surgery carried out, and include penile shortening, sensation changes and erectile dysfunction in the minority of men. In patients with drug refractory erectile dysfunction and Peyronie's disease, placement of a penile prosthesis will address both issues, and is associated with high levels of patient satisfaction. The current review provides a practical approach to the modern evaluation and management of patients presenting with Peyronie's disease.