Peyronie’s surgery attempts to correct a curved penis – sometimes it works and sometimes it does not.  The problem is that once it is done there is no way to actually undue a bad Peyronie’s surgery

Peyronie’s surgery is considered if a patient meets four criteria:

• Severity. This is the most important factor when Peyronies surgery is considered. Only when Peyronie’s disease seriously limits sexual function, or is causing severe and constant pain,or  severe and constant erectile dysfunction (ED), is it worth the risks – and expense – of Peyronies surgery.  While men do report immediate improvement after this kind of penis surgery, these results are often temporary.  Long-term improvement is not too common.
• Time and opportunity. At least 12-18 months from the start of Peyronie’s disease should have lapsed to allow for healing and repair to occur.  Doing Peyronies surgery too early after onset of the disease does not allow adequate for the body to repair the PD scar, which happens in about half of the time.
• Non-response to therapy. During the 12-18 months waiting time a man can use a variety of drug and natural Peyronie’s treatment options to assist healing.
• Stability. Surgical outcomes are best for men whose condition has not improved or worsened for a while.

Many men do not meet these standards, and should consider beginning a Peyronie’s disease natural treatment plan of action to heal from within out resorting to Peyronies surgery.   Any small, medium or large Peyronie’s treatment plan on the PDI website can be modified, by subtracting or adding, to suit your personal Peyronie’s disease treatment philosophy.   Find one that makes sense to you, and then stay focused to your recovery.

If your Peyronie’s penis is causing sexual distress, you might be interested in the in-depth and detailed discussion and loads of helpful information found in Dr. Herazy’s   second book, “Peyronie’s Disease and Sex.”

Peyronie’s surgery overview

Usually, Peyronies surgery is performed on an outpatient basis under general anesthesia, and can last up to two and a half hours. A second doctor, a plastic surgeon, may be needed when specialized grafting techniques are used.  Surgery for Peyronies disease is a major event to a very sensitive part of the body with a large nerve supply, so do not expect an easy walk in the park.

Peyronie’s surgery risks – read this paragraph!

Martin K. Gelbard, MD, world-renown Peyronie’s disease expert states, “Unfortunately, surgery does not offer a cure for Peyronie’s disease. The scarring in men with deformity severe and persistent enough to warrant an operation represents an irreversible loss of connective tissue elasticity. Though surgical restoration of sexual function can be both effective and reliable, potential candidates need to understand the compromise inherent in this approach.”  Compromise means that after Peyronies surgery some degree of the old problem and limitation usually remains, and new problems (more scarring, reduced sensation or numbness, new bends, more pain) will occur in spite of the best skills and dedicated effort of the Peyronie’s disease surgeon.

Every surgical procedure has risk; none are totally safe or foolproof. If you recall only one thing from this article, please keep in mind this: Peyronie’s disease surgery does not restore the penis to its former condition. Some surgery shortens the penis more than others. Some are more effective in straightening curvature. Every surgery carries the risk of less than perfect straightening. Excess scar formation can occur from the surgery. Lastly, surgical side-effects are possible resulting in loss of rigidity (hardness) or inability to maintain an erection (impotence), due to permanent surgical alteration of blood flow in the penis, pain greater than before surgery, as well as permanent loss of sensation that makes sexual pleasure a thing of the past.

I frequently communicate with me who rue the day they had their Peyronie’s disease surgery. Be very careful before you take this step.

Peyronie’s Surgery Options

• Nesbit Plication – This technique or one of several variations involves gathering or pinching (plicating) tissue on the side of the penis opposite the plaque, to cause a bending force that straightens the curve. See, Anatomy of the Penis. Good candidates for this procedure are those with ample penile length, and simple curvature without associated deformity (bottle-neck, hinge or hour-glass effects). This procedure reduces the length of the penis (1-2”), but it is not as likely to result in erectile dysfunction as other procedures such as tissue grafting; for this reason it has the highest patient satisfaction rating. Success rates of 50-60% have been reported with this technique. It is used when the bend is moderate with no loss of penile girth, and to correct congenital curvature.
• Tissue Grafting – This technique is the most popular removal of a Peyronie’s plaque (excision). Recently, grafts have been used to expand the scar (incision). Excision results are disappointing with 20-70% success rates, and 16-70% erectile dysfunction from damage to the erectile nerves. Incision results have not yet been studied very long, although there are reports of prolonged loss of penile sensation in approximately 10% of men. Grafting is best suited for severe curves and reduced penile girth.

• Prosthesis Implant – Small bio-compatible plastic cylinders, either solid or inflatable, are surgically inserted in the penis to make it firm. Once rather popular, implants are used less frequently since the introduction of erectile drugs (Viagra, Cialis), although they remain an option when drugs do not work.

Before you even think about taking the extreme step of penis surgery, PLEASE try a safer, more gentle, non-invasive method that has been shown to reduce PD curvature in 80% of cases when performed as instructed.

To view graphic pictures of Peyronie’s disease, click on Peyronie’s pictures

Even with many recent improvements in surgery for Peyronie’s disease, the ideal surgical procedure has not been discovered or perfected. This is especially true in cases of particularly severe and complex penile curvature surgery. Recent studies of various current surgical approaches have raised concern about the long term benefits of Peyronie’s surgery in relation to the risks involved.

Peyronie’s disease surgery is only one option of treatment. We recommend it cautiously because, unfortunately, it can’t fix everything about Peyronie’s disease and can sometimes take a bad situation and make it worse. For these reasons, it makes good sense that Peyronie’s surgery should be used only as an absolute last resort after a very prolonged course of conservative therapy is applied in an aggressive manner. For information about non-surgical treatment, please review with your doctor the information found at Peyronie’s disease treatment.