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Small-bowel obstruction by an inflatable penile prosthesis reservoir
F I Luks1, H N Huntley, J C Tula
1Department of Surgery, Mary Immaculate Hospital Division, Catholic Medical Center of Brooklyn, Jamaica, N.Y. 11432.
Surgery
|July 1, 1989
Summary
Improvements in inflatable penile prosthesis design have reduced mechanical failures, but pathologic complications like reservoir migration causing bowel obstruction are now more critical. Awareness is key for timely assessment and management.
Area of Science:
- Urology
- Gastroenterology
- Surgical Complications
Background:
- Early inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP) use was associated with high failure rates.
- Mechanical failures dominated IPP complications historically.
Observation:
- Recent series show a significant decrease in overall complication rates from 32.5% to 9.0%.
- Mechanical failures decreased from 69.9% to 38.2% of complications.
- Pathologic failures have increased from 27.3% to 56.4% of complications.
Findings:
- A unique case of small-bowel obstruction due to intraluminal reservoir migration of an IPP is presented.
- The obstruction was successfully treated by bowel resection and extraperitoneal reservoir reimplantation.
Implications:
- While not directly involved in IPP placement, general surgeons must recognize potential erosion and migration of IPP components.
- Awareness of these rare but serious complications is crucial for accurate assessment and management, preventing potentially lethal outcomes.