Surgery for Peyronie's Disease
If you've got Peyronie's disease and your bent penis is beginning to undermine your social life then you may think about surgery as an option to straighten your penis.
However if you are thinking this may be the solution to your problem you may be disappointed if you are hoping for a quick cure. A surgeon will not operate for at least 12 months from the onset of the condition and most will consider 18 - 24 months to be a better waiting period. One reason for this is because Peyronie's can get better on its own and so to avoid unnecessary surgery surgeons will wait to see if there is any natural improvement in the condition before proceeding. Also the condition must be stable for at least 3 months before surgery is carried out, if it is still worsening the surgery will be delayed further.
Any surgery carries risks so penis straightening will only be done where the curvature is causing really problems through pain or because it is preventing successful sexual intercourse. Surgery won't be carried out for purely cosmetic reasons i.e. you find your bent penis an embarrassment unless it is causing you severe psychological difficulties.
Side effects of penis straightening surgery include a small loss of length in the penis shaft, possible erection problems, and loss of sensation. While the latter two are not common they should be considered before surgery takes place.
Types of Surgery
Corporoplasty
This is the most popular surgical option used today and is carried out as a 10 to 20 minute procedure. The penis is made artificially erect, then clamped to straighten it and a stitch is placed on the opposite side of the curve to maintaining the newly straightened shaft. If you have this done expect to be off work for about a week. Erections will be painful for 1 to 2 months.
The Nesbit Procedure is a variation of this where some tissue is removed from the opposite side of the plaque before being stitched. Success rates seem to increase with this method.
Both methods mean that shortening of the penis is common. In addition foreskin problems can occur post-op and some surgeons will advise being circumcised during the operation. Although total straightening of the penis may not be possible about 90% men are happy with the results.
Tissue Grafts
If you have large amounts of scar tissue (plaques) then cutting away the plaque and grafting in new tissue may be the best option. The grafted tissue may come from the patient or inert synthetics like Dacron mesh may be used. However as the grafts contract over time there will be some shortening of the penis.
Penile Implants
This is a less popular method of curing Peyronie's disease as the risk of damaging the tissue within the shaft is greater than other methods. Basically straight plastic tubes are inserted into the soft tissue of the penis to straighten it.
Success rates for all these procedures are variable. A perfectly straight penis cannot be guaranteed but most men will gain some straightening of their penis, enough to allow them to restore their sex life.