[Medico legal considerations on prosthesis surgery of the erectile dysfunction in a La Peyronie disease case]

Peyronie's disease is characterized by the presence of an inelastic fibrous plaque of the penile tunica albuginea affecting 3-10% of the male population. The fibrous scar causes the curvature of the erect penis, which prevents the penetration. In the stabilization phase the plaque can cause a variable degree of erectile dysfunction (20-54%). In the treatment of the chronic disease, surgery is the gold standard and in case of concomitant erectile dysfunction the placement of a penile prosthesis is indicated. This surgery is loaded with an increase of the variables which can affect the outcome, such as individual clinical features and functionality of the device. The present case concerns a patient suffering from erectile dysfunction associated with Peyronie's disease who underwent surgery for implantation of hydraulic three-component penile prosthesis. After surgery a malfunction of the prosthesis was detected, which required unloading measures under sedation and a surgical revision of the scrotal pump. The latter was followed by the displacement of the prosthesis' cylinder and by a new surgical treatment for the reintegration of the prosthesis and the repair of the left corpus cavernosum. After two months a wrong positioning of the two cylinders inserted into the corpora cavernosa, with the left cranial extreme positioned 2 cm below the contralateral, was detected. In this case the failure of surgical treatment highlights a negligent behavior and the responsibility of the doctors by failing to examine adequately the variables, both clinical and not clinical, that might affect the outcome of the intervention.