|
Penile curvature: is surgery
the only option?
The majority of men have a very slight curve or sideways
"hang" to the penis. But about 400 men in every 100,000 suffer from
the condition of severely bent or curved erect penis, so extreme that it makes
intercourse painful for both partners or completely impossible. The erect penis
may bend in a "J" or "U" shape, or may have a series of
bends that create an almost corkscrew-like appearance. This condition is
referred to in the medical community as Peyronie's Disease, and is also
sometimes called fibrous caverositis as a description of the condition of having
fibrous scar tissue building up in the layers of erectile tissue (cavernosa).
Physicians disagree about the exact cause of Peyronie's. It's
clear, however, that the condition occurs when inelastic plaque or scar tissue
replaces the normally elastic tissue of some part of the penis. Normally, an
erection expands the elastic tissue of the penis more or less symmetrically,
producing a straight erection. But because scar tissue is not elastic, or
stretchy, but rather hard, it stays put while other parts of the penis engorge,
resulting in curvature or severe bending. If the scar tissue extends all the way
around the shaft of the penis, the result is either "bottleneck" or
pinching-in at that location, or even a drastic shortening of the penis.
This unfortunate circumstance may begin with injury,
inflammation, or trauma of some sort to the erect penis, such as forceful
bending. Some men have developed Peyronie's after attempts to treat erectile
dysfunction via injection (the most common drug used for this purpose is called
Caverject). Physicians also suspect that other medical conditions may influence
the onset of Peyronies, such as high blood pressure, hardening of the arteries
or diabetes, which may be linked to other rare genetic causes. Currently,
though, the most likely culprit is believed to be trauma followed by slow or
abnormal healing.
As for treatment, it's important to understand that every
case of Peyronie's is different. For some men, surgery is a logical option,
though physicians generally tell patients to wait at least a year or two before
surgical attempts to correct it are made. During that waiting period, most
patients will try other treatments first, with the thought that surgery is a
last-resort, drastic choice (if you doubt this, do a search online with the
keywords "penile curvature surgery," though you should be warned that
these graphic photos are not for the weak of heart or stomach and can be very
disturbing).
In some cases, men improve spontaneously without treatment
within a year or two, and scar tissue may even disappear. About 40% of men see
no change within that time frame, though, and another 40% may even see worsening
of conditions. One of the two most-performed surgeries, called the Nesbit
procedure, often results in a shortening of the penis by 1 to 2 inches; the
other procedure in which scar tissue is replaced with grafted tissue may result
in partial or complete loss of erectile function. In these cases, prior to
surgery and during the "waiting period," alternative treatments are
certainly worthwhile and more effective than doing nothing at all, and are
infinitely preferable given the extreme nature of the surgical treatments.
Right now, the best-documented and most successful
self-treatments available are in the form of traction devices, perhaps combined
with a course of Vitamin E therapy. Highly successful corrective devices like
the ProExtender™
(www.proextender.com)
work by gently applying consistent, measured traction to the penis to counteract
the hardening of scar tissue while building the penis's straight-arrow
dimensions. The device can be worn discreetly under clothing (even at work, if a
man has a low-exertion job) and needs to be applied consistently for a course of
months. This device was developed by Swedish doctor, Jorn Ege Siana , and is
used in clinics and hospitals throughout the US and Europe by post-penis-surgery
patients to ensure proper healing, and is also offered by doctors as an
alternative to surgery.
The benefits of traction-device treatment are clear: no side
effects, low cost compared to surgery, and the advantage of at-home treatment
without the trauma and invasive risks of surgery. To this, many men add Vitamin
E, studied throughout the 1940s and 1950s and continuing today concerning its
effectiveness against penile curvature. Another natural supplement used by
Peyronie's sufferers is Potaba, or potassium amonobenzoate, that has been shown
to yield some benefits; however, the cost can be high since the therapy requires
24 pills a day for up to 6 months. There are a number of other oral medications
and supplements available by prescription for Peyronie's disease. For any of
these approaches, men are advised to consult a physician.
|
