You are a patient at the Urology department of Amsterdam UMC, location VUmc. Your attending physician has diagnosed Peyronie's disease. This brochure provides more information about the condition and cavernoplication.
Peyronie’s disease
Peyronie's disease mainly occurs in men between the ages of 50 and 70. The disease manifests itself through curvature of the penis during erection. The penis can also be painful. You can often feel lumps in the corpora cavernosa.
The cause of the disease is not entirely clear. It is thought that small hemorrhages occur in the capsule of the corpora cavernosa, which are not properly cleared by the body. Scar tissue forms at the site of the bleeding. There also seems to be a link with Dupuytren's disease. A hard spot forms, which is called a plaque. This is less elastic connective tissue, which causes the penis to become curved.
Your doctor has diagnosed the disease, partly based on photos that you took at home. There are no medicines yet that have been scientifically proven to have a beneficial effect on the curvature. If you suffer a lot from the curvature during sex, surgery may be considered.
Active phase and stable phase
Peyronie's disease is characterized by two different phases: the active and the stable phase. The active phase is when the plaque develops. This can take 6-18 months. During this phase, you experience pain during erections and you see the curvature slowly increase.
During the stable phase, there is no more pain and the curvature no longer changes. Treatment can only be performed in the stable phase.
Treatment options
There are 2 possible operations: cavernoplication and cavernoplasty. Which operation is best for you depends on various factors: the degree of curvature, the quality of the erection and the length of the penis.
You and your urologist have chosen a cavernoplication. If you have no other medical problems, the operation can be performed at the Bosch en Duin operating location.
Cavernoplication
With cavernoplication, the convex side of the penis is shortened somewhat by creating folds in the erectile tissue with sutures. This makes the convex side the same length as the concave side and the penis stands straight again.
Considerations for cavernoplication
- The operation will shorten your penis. This is because the side of the penis where the plaque is located has become shorter. The other side is surgically shortened by the same amount.
- You will recover quickly.
- The procedure is reversible in some cases.
- The subcutaneous suture remains palpable but does not cause pain.
- After the operation, you will have 4 weeks of sexual rest; spontaneous erections are not a problem.