Unrelated cancer surgery possible cause of Peyronie’s disease
Debate and confusion persist about a Peyronie’s cause, no matter how much time passes.
We who deal with Peyronies on a daily basis know that not much research effort is given to this problem we share. Medical research into the cause of Peyronie’s disease is often directed toward a genetic quirk or biochemical flaw within the cellular structure – that can be treated with drugs. In spite of a hundred years of failure looking for a pharmacologically treatable Peyronie’s disease cause, one obvious area has not received much interest: trauma.
No one denies that trauma is at least a common secondary cause of Peyronie’s disease, if not the primary cause. Yet, there is nothing in the medical literature that addresses the great amount of totally preventable trauma delivered while under medical care. It is my opinion that doctors can be a Peyronie’s cause during the sometimes brutal and hidden trauma of male catheterization and cystoscopic examination that occurs before, during or after many types of surgery, like bladder or penis surgery.
Since 2002 when I started the Peyronie’s Disease Institute I have communicated with a host of surgical nurses. They advise me that during surgery, while a man is under general anesthesia and is catheterized or given a urethral scope examination for any reason the process is often rushed and aggressive since the patient is not awake or aware.
To understand the potential problem, consider that the male urinary opening at the tip of the penis is a slit that averages 0.15 to 0.20 inches (4-5 mm) in length, compared to a 9 mm catheter or cystoscope that is put into that slit. .
The potential for abuse that can lead to Peyronie’s disease exists because the size of the cystoscope used for men ranges from between the thickness of a pencil up to approximately 9mm. In addition, many cystoscopes have extra tubes to guide other instruments for surgical procedures to treat urinary problems. That is a lot of material that goes up that little passage way. Sometimes twists and narrowed areas of the male urethra are encountered that prevent passage, when the catheter or cystoscope will be forced deeper by a surgeon who encounters difficulty. This, I have been told, is a common problem that is not much talked about.
Nurses get into big trouble, and jeopardize job security, for revealing what they see and hear in the operating room.
It is my speculation that unnecessary injury related to forceful and rushed catheterization or cystoscope insertion is the reason many men develop PD that they cannot otherwise explain. This opinion is based on the number of men I speak to who tell me they cannot account for their PD based on penile trauma. Of these men who recall no direct penile trauma, when I ask about any kind of surgery that took place within a year or so before developing PD, at least 95% tell me they were either catheterized or received a cystoscopic examination for one reason or another.
For this reason I speculate these men were traumatized during their catheterization or cystoscopic procedure sufficiently to injure their tunica albuginea enough to cause Peyronie’s disease.
One example within Peyronie’s disease research to support this theory of an association between surgical catheterization and cystoscopic examination and PD, comes from the Urology Service of the Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, in June of 2010 published an article in Urology Times titled, “Peyronie’s Disease Following Radical Prostatectomy: Incidence and Predictors.”
This search for a cause of Peyronie's disease must consider that for men in their 50s, both prostate cancer and Peyronie's disease are fairly common. The purpose of this project was to determine if there was an actual link between those men who had a radical prostatectomy (RP) operation for prostate cancer and Peyronie’s disease.
They reviewed their sexual medicine database from 2002 to 2008. They isolated men who received a RP as the only form of treatment for a well-defined and localized prostate cancer, looking for those who developed Peyronies within three years after their RP surgery and compared this group to those men who did not develop Peyronies. They studied 1,011 such men, of whom 15.9% PD – a number higher than the general population. They found that the average time for a man to develop PD after his RP was 14 months, give or take a month. The average curvature was determined to be 31 degrees, +/- 17 degrees. They further found that younger men (average of 59 years) who had a RP operation were more likely to develop PD afterward, than older men (average of 60 years), and that white race men (18%) were more likely to develop PD than non-white rave men (7%). Also, they discovered that erectile function after RP surgery did not predict the later development of PD.
Because men who experienced sexual dysfunction after RP were found to develop Peyronie’s disease more frequently than the general population, the study suggested that this group should be routinely evaluated for PD.
This study, written by R. Tal, M. Heck and others, speculates that the Peyronie’s cause for these men might be somehow related to their prostate cancer.
Because it is common for the medical community to primarily delve deeply and intently into the biochemical and hereditary factors for a cause of Peyronie's disease, without consideration of more simple and obvious reasons, they do not much evaluate for trauma. Surgical trauma is a possible Peyronie’s disease cause for those with a history of prior radical prostatectomy (because of the cystoscopic and catheterization procedures they receive), but apparently is not investigated since this would cause a medicolegal problem for the medical community and little reason to use medication.
More Peyronie’s disease from catheter insertions. I have had a revision 2nd due to damage hip from fall.. injection into back had not taken effect . and i noticed rather rough.. the inserting of the Catheter… i also felt at that time a jab into the head of the Penis .. where forskin is retracted?? i felt at that time a pop? but after the operation noticed it swollen a bit but at same time removal of the Device Catheter was problem would not defeat enough you can feel the blade being sucked then they withdraw the air to deflate the ballon>
Peyronie’s disease result was noticed about a 3 week after when normal function came back but i did feel on left side at the Head of Penis limp?? meaning it lost it strength to become straight.. result was ben in left side and collapse of the head .. it did become very pain full result in shock?? after 2 yrs now finally they listen I’m having an Ultra scan and then operation to repair the penis .. so Yes i can speak from experience on this as actual Peyronie’s disease after 4 hip replacements and same Catheters inserted damage was noticed on the 2 nd operation.. how?? feeling of less muscle on left side of the Head so when erect it tends to bend left .. hope that helps people out there to understand and seek answers i did get laughed at but yes… when i mentioned this some were willing to point out the Doctors name>> guess this is not new>Robert Bowler
I have a friend i believe got ED from a nurse jaming a tube in his penis when he could not urinate. Is there anything you know that would help him get back to normal? Thank you.
I have been self diagnosed with Peyronie’s disease, just from things I’ve read on the internet and have talked to my Dr. about it,and he says “its most likely, but that I need to get the cancer in my kidney removed first”.
On June 27, 2016 I had a Nephrectomy of the right kidney, now that I think about it I have been Catheterized 4 times in the last 5 and a half years, my Peyronie’s disease symptoms showed up about 18 months ago and I went through a stage of Pain when I would get an Erection, now I don’t have the pain so much but it is bent to the left and curved upwards, I too believe my Peyronie’s disease is from being Catheterized aggressively. I am scheduled to see my Urologist in Dec. and am not looking forward to it. I am 59 and a third years old, Thank you for listening
Add one more to your list. Peyronie’s disease developed about 12 months after catheter.
I had a cystoscopy because of blood in my urine in 2015 and I take Avodart and Flomax for BPH. I’m 72 years old and in good health other than these plumbing issues. The blood in the urine went away, but I ended up with Peyronie’s disease a few months after the cystoscopy which was my second one in 6 years. My erect penis is now shaped like a banana and seems to have shrunk about an inch. Needless to say, I’m not thrilled about this. My urologist who performed the 2nd cystoscopy has no answers or remedies to offer me, so I’m living with it. I’ve tried taking vitamin E but it doesn’t seem to help. I really believe the urethra trauma from the cystocopies and the continued use of Avodart are the only logical causes for my Peyronie’s disease.
Greetings,
It would be helpful if your friend spent a little time on the PDI website learning how to use natural Alt Med to improve his ability to self-repair the damage that resulted in his Peyronie’s disease. TRH
I too developed peyronies disease after being in a traction catheter for 6 weeks. That was one year ago after I had a RP with a disruption of my bladder & urethra that went undetected for over a week. I can no longer get an erection on my own & today was my first try with Bimix. Worked great except the erection lasted 4 hours before diminishing which was painful.
I had a urethral stricture caused by an in-dwelling catheter being pulled out too violently. Which caused me a lot of pain, leading me to have another in-dwelling catheter being left in for 5 weeks till the stricture healed .
A short while after this I developed Peyronies Disease …….could this have been caused by the violent withdrawal of the catheter ?
Yes, it is certainly possible it is Peyronie’s disease. So many men have made this connection between Peyronie’s disease onset and violent urethral trauma during catheterization that the medical profession should be more aware of this problem. Usually it does no good to talk to the personnel involved since they will deny it, because they know it would cause a host of medicolegal problems and lawsuits. Sorry you are going through this. TRH
Greetings Scott,
Sorry to hear of your problems. You want to be very careful with Bimix; might aggravate the Peyronie’s disease. TRH
Count another one in with this problem!
While I’ll be 72 in two days, I’ve always had a rather active and enjoyable time sexually.
In the last two years, I’ve had catheterization several times – five times while on a six week trip to Thailand and Cambodia – and cystoscopic examination twice (though I was – very – wide awake) and if felt like a 35 MM camera they were poking in!
Now, my erection, shall we say, “lacks enthusiasm” and has the tensility of a week old banana. There is, however, no pain . . . . but no real gain either!
Though never needed before, think any of you that VIagra might help the latter condition.
Greetings Tommy,
You might be jumping the gun here to assume that you have Peyronie’s disease simply because there is a recent change of your normal erection response after having several rough catheterizations; it is not a “post hoc ergo propter hoc” kind of thing. Like it or not, certain physiologic changes occur in men after age 50-55. Your testosterone could be down a bit, perhaps you are not making enough NO to keep your sexual apparatus performing a your usual teenage level, maybe you are just wary about activity with your penis after all that camera-trauma, which are perhaps more likely explanations for what you describe.
Peyronie’s disease is more likely if you also have recently noted other penile changes that are more significant to this diagnosis: distortion of some type like a bend, curvature or indentation, loss of size, pain, and presence of a nodule or density below the shaft surface. Since you did not mention any concurrent complaints such as these, it seems unlikely that your penile lack of enthusiasm is related to Peyronie’s disease.
Lastly, Viagra is a PDE-5 inhibitor drug that has been know to cause Peyronie’s disease in men. For a further explanation how this occurs I suggest you search the term on this website and see many of the articles I have written about the dangers of taking Viagra, Cialis and Levitra. Better that you work to get your testosterone up, or take some NO supplements. Good luck. TRH
Greetings Alan,
Yes, continually injecting Avodart into the penis will traumatize the tunica layer of the penis, leading to more Peyronie’s disease; if a guy does not have Peyronie’s disease a good way to get it is to inject Avodart into the same area day after day. You do not have to live with your Peyronie’s disease without at least trying to help yourself. Read the PDI website for information how Alt Med can help your body eliminate the Peyronie’s disease scar tissue. TRH
Greetings Curt,
So sorry to hear of your Peyronie’s disease and related urinary health problems. Once your cancer is under control it might be a good idea to see if you might benefit from Alt Med treatment to help your body eliminate the Peyronie’s disease fibrous material. Please read the PDI site to learn how this can be done. TRH
Greetings Robert,
Sometimes I hate to show all these sad stories how Peyronie’s disease results from rough and improper catheterizations. But men have got to be warned how Peyronie’s disease can result after a bad catheter insertion. The answer: Warn the HELL out of the doctor who is going to do your catheterization that you know for a fact that Peyronie’s disease happens after rough procedures, you are informed, you will give him serious trouble if anyone does a sloppy or careless job catheterizing your penis, and you want to make sure he and anyone else who is involved takes special care to be gentle and reasonable how they work with you. Peyronie’s disease prevention. TRH
I definitely got Peyronie’s disease from sloppy Catheterizations. I had 3 attempts at getting a Kidney Stone. The first 2 were unsuccessful and I know they caused it. If I were a younger man I would sue!!!
Thank God for the Surgeon who helped me on the Third attempt. And the Stone was not very big at all! Skill and Technique are critical.
Greetings James,
I post these repeated stories and warnings about how Peyronie’s disease can be caused by catheterization when done roughly and haphazardly for a reason. Bricklayers, bakers and bartenders can do lazy, careless and shameful work; some doctors are in that same category; some people are just not good at what they do. When a nurse or doctor does not have the skill, moral integrity or simple interest in doing good work the results can be disastrous for a patient. Peyronie’s disease can happen after a rushed or botched catheter procedure; when that little plastic tube is repeatedly jammed and poked at a bad angle it can cause inflammation that can lead to Peyronie’s disease. It is not difficult to understand.
One of the ways to protect yourself from Peyronie’s disease before going into urinary surgery where catheterization could be done is to: 1. Do your homework to find a great surgeon with a great reputation. 2. Ask if you will be catheterized before, during or after surgery. 3. If a urinary catheter will be inserted, talk to your surgeon and put him/her on notice. 4. Make a deliberate point of your concern about PD. You do not have to threaten anyone or sound like you are a crazy person who is out to sue him. Just say, “Doctor, I know Peyronie’s disease can be caused if the penis is injured during catheterization. Please take your time and be gentle with that catheter because I like you but I would be really upset if you gave me Peyronie’s disease.” Say no more.
While these words are friendly, they express reasonable concern and they are honest. Who wouldn’t be “upset” to get Peyronie’s disease from a badly done catheterization? The surgeon will know you are an informed and serious person. Notice I did not say “sue,” “malpractice,” or “lawyer.” All I said was that I would be “upset” if I developed Peyronie’s disease. Yet, these words make a strong point. No doctor wants an upset patient. I simply asked him to be careful and gentle with me so I would not be upset. That is a reasonable and straightforward thing to do. The surgeon will read between the lines; all doctors have malpractice firmly in the back of their minds. As a result he should be more careful and slow down a bit to do your catheterization right and do it gently the first time. That is all you want.
So sorry to hear about your Peyronie’s disease. I hope you look around the PDI website a bit. There is a lot you can do naturally that might assist the body to heal your Peyronie’s disease; you know that PD goes away (self-heals) in up to 50% of cases, so why not you? The PDI concepts simply try to assist that natural healing process. TRH
I have had Peyronie’s disease for over 30 years due to a catheter when I was an adolescent. I was not awake when they gave it to me, but I was when the nurse ripped it out without warning. It felt like I was stabbed down there and lost all feeling for 3 months. Feeling slowly came back, but it took me over 25 years for me to put 2 and 2 together to realize how I got this way. Peyronie’s disease has truly ruined my sex life before I even had a chance to enjoy it. As I get older I find that it affects me more and more. The physical part is one thing, but the depression is worse.
Dear Anonymous,
What a sad Peyronie’s disease story. To think this horrible thing happened to you as an innocent boy during a standard medical procedure. I am so sorry for your situation.
There is only one way Peyronie’s disease can defeat your spirit: If you identify your self worth and personal power are solely derived through your penis and sexual intercourse. How you see yourself and how you feel about yourself are completely within your control. If you feel defeated by Peyronie’s disease it could be because you are seeing yourself wrongly. I have worked with many men who held the idea that without a traditionally functional penis they were of little value; poor self-esteem and shame plagued them into depression. It is necessary to reconsider your values and self-image so you see your situation correctly. You make a mistake to define yourself by the condition of your penis since there are alternatives to sexual intercourse, and there are hundreds of thousands of sexual partners who do not want to engage in sexual intercourse. Sometimes, Peyronie’s disease does not leave a man any option but to look for those people who prefer a man with a bent penis, in which case Peyronie’s disease is not a problem. (I recall one wild email I received from an Australian who thought getting Peyronie’s disease was the best thing that ever happened to him; his penis curved smartly upward in such a way that it hit every G-spot he encountered. Not every man with Peyronie’s disease is so lucky as that, but you get the point that you have to use what you have in such a way that it is an asset and you do not allow it to be an impediment.) In my book, “Peyronie’s Disease and Sex,” I spend many pages exploring and explaining the mindset that is essential for survival when your sexual options have been altered by PD. It might be worth a look.
Over the last few months I have worked with a man who has had Peyronie’s disease for 23 years old, and he is responding to the Alt Med protocol suggested by PDI. His improvement is slower than most but he is pleased and grateful for all improvement he sees. I have also worked with many whose Peyronie’s disease was near or over 10 years old, and many of them see improvement ranging from little to great. Time and again I see that the body has some capacity to remove the PD fibrous material even when chronic, but first you have to try to stimulate it. Not all cases of Peyronie’s disease respond to Alt Med treatment, certainly, but enough do that I believe a person should consider using it to see if perhaps some minor or major improvement can be made.
I do not get to work with many older cases of PD because after several years of hearing the same old stories of defeat and hopelessness most men with Peyronie’s disease give up on themselves and stop looking for help. You are an exception. You are not the average man with Peyronie’s disease. After dealing with Peyronie’s disease for 30 years you wandered into the PDI website looking for answers and help. This indicates to me that you have more spirit, determination and strength than most who deal with PD. There are many options available to you if you look for them. Be strong. Let me know if there is anything I can do for you. TRH
I have just been diagnosed with Peyronie’s disease after less than a year from having urinary track reconstruction. I had a catheter in place for a bout 3 weeks during and after surgery, the catheter was removed or should I say yanked out after the 3 weeks. This was incredibly painful and wasn’t given a heads up what she was about to do, she just ripped it out and I about passed out from the pain. Shortly after I had sex for the first time and it was extremely painful at the end of my penis when it was fully erect. Almost like something wasn’t allowing the full erection. I had a follow up a month later with the surgeon and explained the issue with painful erections and she thought it was normal healing. From that time on I still have painful erections but also developed what felt like bumps inside my penis. I asked the doctor thru email what was happening and she became defensive and said it wasn’t anything she would have touched. I now have an hour glass shaped penis that only gets half erect and is quite difficult to have intercourse with. I feel like I have been altered and no one seems to care. The surgeon passed me on to someone else and never even came in to see what the problems have evolved to. Very disappointed at what has happened with the Peyronie’s disease and how I have been treated…
Greetings Tim,
So sorry to hear your Peyronie’s disease story. What arrogance and selfishness to think that when it is you who was given the problem, the person who gave you the problem is only concerned about herself. You have only to read this group of comments to see that Peyronie’s disease frequently arises via rough and careless catheter procedures, and wonder why it is so. You would think that from their compassion, humanitarianism, knowledge and skill this group of people would do all they could to avoid this consequence.
To all the men who visit this PDI column and read these horror stories, if you are scheduled for a catheterization and are concerned about Peyronie’s disease, do this: Talk to your doctor and surgeon before being catheterized, in the presence of a family member. Be bold and outspoken. Tell them you know Peyronie’s disease can happen after abusive, careless, rushed and unskillful catheterization procedures. Tell them you are concerned you will be injured, tell them you want them to be extra careful with you and that you would “hate to have a reason to be unhappy with their medical services.” This is a phrase that is not hostile or crazy, but it lets them know you are a serious person who will take action if you are injured. This is a good think because it should result in them being more careful with you, which is what you want. You see, before going in for surgery or any procedure they will demand that you sign a paper that says you will not hold them responsible for what they are going to do; they are protecting themselves. This I think is part of the problem why so many of these cauterizations go bad – they do not care how it turns out because they know you will sign that paper that says you cannot sue them. Having this brief discussion about being careful, and being rough, and getting Peyronie’s disease, puts that topic out in the open and might make that doctor who is normally rough and rushed just slow down a little and be more careful with you. In this wacky world where doctors don’t seem to care like they once did, you have to protect yourself from something like Peyronie’s disease any way you can.
Concerning your current Peyronie’s disease with weak erections, pain, hour-glass deformity and difficult penetration, it might be helpful if you spend a little time on the PDI website. Learn how you can use Alt Med to assist your body to heal the PD scars that are causing all your difficulties. Good luck to you. TRH
I had commented on my situation of having a catheter withdrawn violently and later causing Peyronie’s disease. While I’m not a proponent of filling law suits I did look into the possibility of getting some sort of financial payoff for my disfigurement and change in sexual preformance. I spoke with an attorney from a large firm and he felt like I wouldn’t stand a chance without another doctor confirming the violent removal was the cause. I also have a complaint filed at the university of Michigan claiming the actions of the doctor was the cause of my Peyronie’s disease diagnosis. I’m looking for medical treatment being covered for any needs I may incur for this medical problem. As of yet I haven’t received any word back in regards to my accusations. Has anyone had success trying to legally holding a doctor responsible? I will follow up with more information as it may help someone else going through the same issues….
Is it possible for development of Peyronie’s disease 25 years after trauma according to men suffering from the status?
Would regular erections work against the development and explain why Peyronie’s disease took a longer time to develop?
Will come back ASAP or at your email request this year with a horrific testimony, slightly also connected to the US.
Thanks
Greetings NA,
No it is not possible for Peyronie’s disease to develop 25 years after a trauma; likely something else like another trauma or a drug side-effect started the Peyronie’s disease recently. It usually takes only a month or two for the tissue changes to occur within the tunica albuginea of the penis for the Peyronie’s disease plaque to become noticeable, and then another 6-18 months for the plaque to mature sufficiently to be called a scar. Trouble in the form of pain, reduced penis size, erectile dysfunction and a curved penis can be noticed at any time while all this happens.
Regular erections would not influence development of the plaque or scar, or the time it takes for Peyronie’s disease symptoms or signs to occur.
PDI readers would be interested to hear from you in regard to your experiences with Peyronie’s disease when you are ready. TRH
My husband has had 2 bouts of bladder cancer. So he is always getting cystoscoped. the last time, it was extremely painful for him when the scope went in (Dr. said pain was from enlarged prostate)). ended up a month later in the hospital with a tear in his bladder. Cather either bad or put in wrong as it caused him a lot of pain and it never worked right and ended up failing totally after two weeks (no urine went into the bag, just out his penis. another catheter was put in, much less painful and actually worked. Had 3 UTI’s during this period, also. Urologist took catheter out last week. But it hurts when his urine stream , which is very weak, starts. Not burn. Pain. Could this be Peyronie’s disease? Is there a test? He has other cancer’s – carcinoid, plus has an ICD after two heart attacks from chemo. Sex doesn’t matter. I just wonder about the pain. Does Peyronie’s disease cause pain upon urination? Will it stop? We are seeing his PCP and looking into getting a new urologist. He is supposed to have another cystoscope next month. Obviously dreading that.
Greetings Barbara,
In spite of all his troubles, what a lucky guy your husband is to have a strong woman at his side during all he is going through.
On to Peyronie’s disease. Anything is possible with PD, but pain associated with urination is not a classic or easily explained symptom related to Peyronie’s disease. Based on the information you offered it sounds like his GU pain could be more so related to injury to the urethra (urinary tube running through the penis shaft). Some or all of his urinary pain could also be explained as a referred symptom from his prostate gland; it happens.
Yes, there is a test for Peyronie’s disease. It involves a sonogram of the shaft of the penis to visualize any fibrous scar or calcification that is typical of Peyronie’s disease. At this point of your husband’s situation, based only on urinary pain that can be otherwise easily explained by other problems you related, I do not know if it is important or significant to do such testing with him. Besides that, there is a direct evaluation of common signs and symptoms of penile distortion (curves, kinks), reduced size, erectile dysfunction, presence of palpable masses of fibrous tissue just under the skin of the shaft that also are used to make a diagnosis of Peyronie’s disease.
I suggest both of you should make an issue of his recent problems related to his many catheterizations; talk to his urologist about his poor experiences during catheter insertion. Demand that he/she takes more time and effort to be gentle and careful during insertion.
Good luck to both of you. TRH
Dr Herazy,
I was involved in a bad auto accident in 2008. Following this accident I was placed in a medical coma for two months. During this time I had several catheters placed. When I was released from the hospital several months later, I noticed a bend and severe pain in my penis. I spoke to my family physician about the problem. This was the first time I had heard the words, Peyronie’s disease. I was told by my doctor then, that is what I had. This issue caused me pain and impotence for almost a year. The problem seems to have resolved itself, except for a slight bend, and loss of girth, length, I’m back to normal. When I returned to the hospital where this had taken place, no actual person would stand up and take blame for it! Just thankful that I am somewhat back to normal now from the Peyronie’s disease.
Thank you so very much,
Larry Simpson
Greetings Larry,
Another Peyronie’s disease/catheter story. I have examined the medical texts that discuss the subject of technique for male catheterization. The words “gentle, “easy” and “slow” are never used; nowhere is Peyronie’s disease mentioned as a possible consequence of rough insertion. I suppose it is assumed that the person doing the catheterization would not be abusive or careless.
Glad to hear most aspects of your Peyronie’s disease eventually resolved itself. There are some things you can do to attempt to bring back some of the lost size; return of reduced length and girth are often the earliest indicators of a PDI program starting to heal the Peyronie’s disease scar tissue. I suggest at least thinking about doing this since you never know if or when your curvature might recur so long as you have PD present. TRH
I am 47 years old with questions about Peyronie’s disease treatment. Approximately 3 years ago I had a scope done on my bladder, after that I developed a lump/hard spot on the left side of my penis(w/pain while erect). Dr stated it was plaque probably due to sex/masturbation. In Oct 2017 I had a kidney stone removed & stent was left in for 10 days after. I told Dr about “plaque;” he could feel it, but said nothing they would do/have done would cause Peyronie’s disease. 2-3 weeks after stent removal passed; I notice “plaque” seems larger w/ painful “spur” on right side. Noticeable hourglass effect is now visible. What are chances of correction w/non surgical remedies? This is basically ruining my ability to have sex with my wife. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Greetings Rich,
Peyronie’s disease can be caused by injury of any type: during sexual intercourse, aggressive masturbation or abusive catheterization. Read all the stories from men who got their Peyronie’s disease after catheterization.
You ask about the chances of correction of Peyronie’s disease. Half of men who get PD will cure it themselves naturally, without any outside help; it just goes away on its own via the ability of the body to heal. The real question is how to help those men whose PD does not go away by itself. It happened to me in 2001 when I developed Peyronie’s disease and stayed for three years until I developed the Alt Med treatment protocol you see in this website.
The Peyronie’s Disease Institute has been devoted since 2002 to help men self-heal their PD when it does not occur spontaneously. PDI works with Alt Med in ways that no one else does. This can result in some rather nice improvement and even elimination of PD in a fair percent of cases when men closely follow our protocol. Commonly we get 8-10 men reporting moderate to marked improvement of their Peyronie’s disease when using the PDI concepts for every one report of failure. Please review the natural treatment concepts on this site. You might be able to do something for your Peyronie’s disease.
Since you also express concern about reduced ability for sexual intercourse i suggest that you read my book, “Peyronie’s Disease and Sex.” This is the only book of its kind, filled with a wealth of information and practical suggestions for those men with problems as you have described. http://peyronies-disease-help.com/pdi-product/peyronies-disease-sex/. There is a lot to learn here since what is happening to you is so new and overwhelming, and need not be.
Let me know if I can help you deal with your Peyronie’s disease. TRH
Hello Dr. Herazy,
I had multiple intestinal surgeries in October-November of 2017. I started noticing something different with my erections a month or so later. I noticed bending to the left. I asked a couple of urologists and they said the catheter insertion can’t be related. I had no sexual issues prior to surgery but definitely have had problems since. It’s too coincidental that pre-surgery I was fine and post surgery I started developing issues.
This has caused noticeable lumps and hardness that can be felt even when not erect. The length of the erection is definitely shorter. I don’t seem to get as hard near the head.
I am seeing a specialist and may receive some Xiaflex injections.
What are you thoughts on the injections? Success rate? Side effects?
Do you believe this is the best treatment for what I describe?
This is very scary for me as I don’t want further damage.
Look forward to your response.
Best Regards,
Jim
Greetings Jim,
Since your questions are posed as an attachment to an article I wrote entitled “Possible Peyronie’s Cause: Catheter and Cystoscope Trauma,” I do not know why you are asking about my position on this subject. Since this article was written I am more convinced of the causal relation between poorly performed and abusive male catheterization and Peyronie’s disease. I receive too many emails and have too many conversations that are like yours for there not to be a connection between the two. The fact that your urologist consultations do not agree is not a surprise. Medical doctors seldom offer an opinion that would lead to a malpractice lawsuit. The fraternity protects the fraternity.
Performing a catheter insertion correctly requires skill and precision. Apparently not all those who do it do it well, yet they do it. And injection of collagenase (Xiaflex) into the Peyronie’s disease fibrous mass requires an even higher level of skill and precision, lest terrible consequences result. Likewise, not all those who do it do it well.
I believe that it would be worthwhile to attempt to promote and encourage your own natural healing ability with a 3-4 month therapeutic trial of Alt Med to see if you can support a self-cure, or at least partial reduction, of your Peyronie’s disease. It is said that up to half of PD cases will self-heal. Why not you? I get 8-10 reports of moderate to marked reduction of Peyronie’s disease when men accurately and faithfully follow the protocol we have used since 2002. In that time there has never been a report of side effects or adverse results when correctly following our protocol.
You ask about the success rate of the Xiaflex surgery for Peyronie’s disease. This is not known because these numbers are not published or available anywhere I know about. Why? Because, as I mentioned, the fraternity protects the fraternity. TRH
I got Peyronie’s disease 10 days after a cystoscopy. It started just as a wound inside my penis, and over time became a scar. It just got worse over time. I have had it for a year now. Big dent on the side of my penis with very painful erections. The doctor denies responsibility.
Greetings Quin,
Of course, the doctor denies responsibility. They all do.
If yours is a well-documented “wound” inside the urethra of your penis that occurred during your cystoscopy, someone is responsible for your injury and the Peyronie’s disease that is causally related to that injury. Find the largest and most aggressive personal injury law firm you can find in your state — not someone you know from down the street, or someone you grew up with who is now a lawyer — if you are interested in seeking compensation for all levels of your injury. There will be no cost to you. You will not only be compensated for your pain, emotional suffering and loss, but you will be protecting other men from further damage in the future.
In the meanwhile, think about treatment that does not involve surgery or pills that often make Peyronie’s disease worse. PDI natural Peyronie’s disease treatment gets better than average results. There are no side effects or recurrence of PD after successful natural treatment. We receive 8-10 reports of moderate to marked improvement of Peyronie’s disease after men follow our natural treatment protocol, for everyone report of failure. You cannot get odds like that elsewhere, and with no side effects. It sounds like you have been injured once by a poorly performed medical procedure, be careful that you do not have it happen again. Let me know if you have further questions. TRH
Had double hernia surgery in August of 2022. 62 years old and have NEVER had a problem with my penis in any way shape or form. IMMEDIATELY upon resuming sexual activity (about six weeks), I experienced severe erection pain and now have a 30+ degree downward bend at the end of my penis. There is zero doubt with both myself and my wife that SOMETHING happened during my surgery. Period. I’m a vet and have learned to deal with this but it has been a life altering event. I generally have no complaints with the VA (Charlotte/Salisbury, NC) BUT after checking me out, they quickly sent my “outside” to “community care”. The urologist confirmed Peyronie’s disease, and we now have a game plan which will involve surgery in about 4 months or so. The doctor is confident he can straighten my penis but the size will suffer. At this point, I do not care. I feel that the variations in men’s penis size (“growers” versus “showers” etc.) combined with nerves, cold surgical environment (reduced penis size from fear LOL) can, with a rushed catheterization, have all the potential for problems – and this article bears that out. Any doctor’s reading this worth their salt should not hesitate to assist in bringing this problem out into the open in order to develop preventative pre-surgery strategies/techniques to minimize damage from catheterization leading to Peyronie’s disease.
Greetings Ray,
Sorry you are going through Peyronie’s disease just because of poorly performed catheterization. You wouldn’t believe how common this is. The problem is mostly shrugged off like it is no big deal or that it is “just something that happens.” No one wants to accept responsibility for their poor workmanship.
I’m also sorry to read that you are so quickly assuming Peyronie’s surgery is your best or only option so early in your problem. If a simple catheterization can go bad, imagine what can happen during and after penis surgery for Peyronie’s disease. Please consider doing something conservative that might help you avoid penis surgery. If a solid and well conducted course of natural Peyronie’s disease conservative treatment does not improve your problem, you can always have your surgery. We receive reports from 8-10 men who use our large plan reporting moderate to marked improvement of their PD scar tissue, for every one report of no response. Pretty good results. Please think about it.
Also, please look around the PDI website for information about helping yourself heal your PD better than you are now. If that idea strikes you as strange — that your body is trying to heal your PD — then ask yourself why your urologist wants to do surgery in four months, and not next week. He is giving your body time to see if you will heal the Peyronie’s problem. It happens often enough that it is the standard medical procedure to allow time after diagnosis for self-repair before rushing into surgery. The body heals PD frequently. The question then, can you heal your PD better with a little help? That is what PDI is all about. Taking direct and purposeful action to help men heal their Peyronie’s disease better. If you have other questions, just ask. TRH