Surgical correction of buried penis: a review of 60 cases

The authors reviewed 60 cases of buried penis, treated in a single institution with postoperative follow-up for at least 6 months. The review was aimed at providing information that might help to optimize the results in future surgical correction of this uncommon, but not rare, congenital disorder.

From January 1, 1989 to December 31, 1998, 62 boys with buried penis were treated with 1 of the following procedures: group 1A (n = 6), preputial unfurling alone; group 1B (n = 8), modified preputial unfurling; group 1C (n = 12), penoplasty devised by the first author with preservation of the preputial skin; and group 2 (n = 36), penoplasty with trimming of the inner preputial skin. Postoperative follow-up of more than 6 months after operation was achieved in 60 of 62 patients for a total of 25 patients in group 1 (A through C) and 35 patients in group 2.

Recurrent buried penis developed in 8 of 60 patients (13%), and redundant penile skin with or without lymphedema occurred in 18 (30%). The complications occurred in 18 of 25 patients (72%) in group 1 (A through C) but in only 8 of 35 (23%) in group 2. The difference was significant (P =.001). Most of the complications were mild and acceptable. A second procedure was required in 5 of the 25 patients in group 1 but in none of group 2. The second procedures were required to correct recurrent buried penis in 1 and to resect excess redundant penile skin in 4.

The superior results achieved in group 2 suggest that in addition to penoplasty with adequate fixation of the unfurling prepuce, resection of excess inner preputial skin is required to achieve an optimal outcome in children requiring surgical correction of buried penis.