Subcoronal Incision for Inflatable Penile Prosthesis Does Not Risk Glans Necrosis

Glans vascular compromise had previously been considered a rare but devastating complication of the subcoronal incision for inflatable penile prosthesis surgery. Here, we describe the largest series of subcoronal implants to date to assess contemporary complication rates.

A retrospective review of subcoronal prosthesis placements by a single surgeon from Seoul, South Korea, was performed. Patients were randomly assigned either Coloplast Titan or AMS 700 device per institutional practice.

A total of 898 patients who underwent subcoronal implants from May 2015 to March 2022 were analyzed. Median follow-up was 41 months (IQR 40). Preoperative patient comorbidities included diabetes (36.6%) and Peyronie's disease (4%). The most common complication was transient distal penile edema (74.7%). Transient incisional paresthesia (20.6%) was more common in patients with diabetes (31.9% vs 13.9%, P < .01). Five cases (0.5%) of distal penile skin necrosis were reported in patients who had previously been circumcised. Of these, 3 were managed successfully with wet-to-dry dressing, 1 required skin grafting, and 1 required device explant. Device infection without incisional compromise occurred in 2 cases (0.2%). There were no instances of glans necrosis or ischemia observed in this cohort. Of the first-time implants (817, 90.9%), most (62.3%) were successfully completed under local anesthetic alone, with the remainder of surgeries completed with the addition of adjunctive conscious sedation.

Subcoronal incision for first-time or revision penile implant surgery is not a risk factor for glans ischemia or necrosis and can be safely completed under local anesthetic with or without conscious sedation.