Can a venous patch graft be a substitute for the tunica albuginea of the penis?

We describe our experience with plaque excision and placement of a venous patch graft. Sprague Dawley rats (n = 20) underwent excision of a wedge of tunica albuginea with the defect covered by a segment of detubularized femoral vein, endothelial side towards the cavernous tissue. Erectile function, as determined by the rise in intracavernous pressure with cavernous nerve stimulation (mean 54.0 +/- 4.2 cm. H2O), was equal to that in a group of 10 intact age-matched controls (mean 46.9 +/- 3.37 cm. H2O). Penile cross-sections stained with Hart's elastic fiber stain or Trichrome stain revealed only minimal fibrosis in the region of the patch. In 3 dogs, a wedge of tunica was removed, and the defect was covered with a segment of detubularized deep dorsal vein. When sacrificed at 3 months, all animals had retained their erectile function with histologic evidence of minimal fibrosis. On the basis of histologic and functional data, the venous patch appears to be a reasonable alternative substance to those in common use.