A modification of Winter's shunt in the treatment of pediatric low-flow priapism

Cavernous shunt operations available for treating priapism are frequently unsuitable for children owing to high chances of persistent venous leak that results in postoperative erectile dysfunction. In this article, a modification of Winter's shunt, which is suitable for treating low-flow priapism in children, is described.

Using a large bore needle, multiple punctures were made in the tip of corpora cavernosa through the glans. The needle tracks functioned as temporary cavernoglandular fistula thereby, causing detumescence. This modified technique was used in 7 children all of whom had ischemic priapism. The age range was 9 months to 17 years, and the mean duration of symptom was 11 hours (range, 5-20 hours).

In all the patients, priapism was successfully relieved by the modified technique. Immediate recurrence of priapism was noted in only one patient. In 5 patients for whom adequate follow-up details are available, postprocedure penile erection was confirmed either by self-reporting or by observation. There were no major complications.

This technical modification of the classical Winter's shunt appears to be a useful alternative in the management of pediatric low-flow priapism. A high chance of retaining erectile capacity after this technique is a significant advantage. Further clinical studies are required to confirm the observations of this preliminary report.