Our experience in the treatment of penile curvature.

OBJECTIVES: Evaluation of the authors' results achieved using corporoplasty in patients treated for penile curvature from 1/1/1993 to 31/12/2002. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 26 patients underwent corporoplasty to correct penile curvature: congenital curvature without hypospadias or epispadias in 22 patients (aged 17 to 42) and curvature due to La Peyronie's disease in 4 patients (aged 48 to 65). In the latter 4 cases corporoplasty was chosen, instead of plaque excision or incision, since the plaque was quite small-sized and well stabilized, causing an overall limited curvature in a proportionately long penis with perfectly preserved erectile functions. The Ebbehoj-Metz technique (plication of the tunica albuginea of the corpora cavernosa using introflecting double cross-over stitch of 2/0 Prolene, grasping deep into the tunica in 4 positions) was used in 24 patients and the Yachia procedure (longitudinal incision of the tunica albuginea of the corpora cavernosa followed by transverse suture using 2/0 PDS) in 2 patients, both affected by congenital curvature. RESULTS: Penile straightening was completely satisfactory in 24 patients, while 2 with congenital curvature, who had undergone the Ebbehoj-Metz technique corporoplasty, had recurring penile curvature. One of these last 2 patients, aged 17, required further corporoplasty, using the same procedure again, obtaining penile straightening. The other patient, aged 42, refused further operation. Although the 2 patients treated using the Yachia technique had a satisfactory curvature correction, for some months they reported feeling a bothersome bump on the corpus cavernosum in the cut and sutured area of the tunica albuginea, with moderate pain during erections. For this reason this technique was not used in other patients. The only complication reported by 1 patient was the formation of a redundant balanopreputial scar due to suture dehiscence, later removed under local anaesthesia. CONCLUSIONS: Considering their results, the authors consider corporoplasty a reliable and easy to perform procedure in the treatment of both congenital penile curvature and in well selected cases of penile curvature due to induratio penis plastica.