Surgical treatment of Peyronie's disease

Surgical measures usually represent the last step in the treatment of Peyronie's disease. Straightening of the penile shaft and relief of pains during erection are the main goals of the operation. From December 1987 to April 1990, 11 patients with a mean age of 58.3 years underwent surgical treatment. Three of them complained of erectile dysfunction prior to surgery. The plaques were located distally in 8 patients, proximally in 1 patient and in the middle of the shaft in 2 patients. Complete resection was performed and defects of the tunica albuginea were closed by means of running sutures (3 patients) or grafts of autologous skin (5 patients) and lyophilized dura mater (3 patients), respectively. After a mean follow-up of 21 months, 6 patients reported spontaneous erections, whereas 3 patients needed corpus cavernosum autoinjection therapy. In 2 cases implantation of a penile prosthesis was necessary. Surgical treatment of Peyronie's disease yields satisfactory results if conservative therapy proves unsuccessful. However, diagnostic evaluation of erectile dysfunction should precede operative treatment and if present, be treated accordingly.