Plication for Severe Peyronie's Deformities Has Similar Long-Term Outcomes to Milder Cases

Introduction

Penile plication (PP) for Peyronie's disease (PD) is an established treatment option for mild to moderate curvature, but scant data exist regarding its utility in severe deformities.

Aim

To evaluate long-term outcomes among men undergoing PP for PD, comparing severe to mild/moderate penile deformities.

Methods

We performed a retrospective review of patients who underwent PP for PD between 2009 and 2017. All patients underwent multiple parallel tunical plication without degloving. Severe PD was defined as either curvature ≥60 degrees or biplanar curvature ≥35 degrees. Patient demographics and surgical outcomes were analyzed. A modified PD Questionnaire and International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF)-5 were administered by telephone.

Main Outcome Measure

Long-term patient-reported outcomes were evaluated from a modified survey incorporating the PD Questionnaire and IIEF-5.

Results

Of 327 PP patients, 102 (31%) responded to the telephone survey at a median 59.5 months (interquartile range 28.3–84) since surgery. Patients were equally distributed into severe (n = 51) and mild/moderate (n = 51) groups. Despite a greater mean degree of curvature in severe compared to mild/moderate patients (71.6 degrees vs 37.7 degrees, respectively, P < .001), correction of penile curvature was achieved in 91% of patients, with a mean change of 60.7 degrees in severe cases compared to 31.4 degrees in mild/moderate cases (P < .001). Equal numbers of patients in severe and mild/moderate groups reported improvement of penile curvature (74.5% vs 74.5%, P = 1.0) and sexual function (51.0% vs 49.0%, P = .84). PD Questionnaire metrics were likewise similar between severe and mild/moderate patients (P > .1), as were rates of subjective penile shortening (62.7% vs 62.7%, P = 1.0) and IIEF-5, both pre-operatively (19.5 vs 19.7, P = .9) and post-operatively (19.4 vs 17.6, respectively, P = .15). On multivariate logistic regression, worsening sexual function was significantly associated with increased age (odds ratio 1.07, P = .01) and pre-operative IIEF (odds ratio 1.14, P = .02).

Clinical Implications

PP should be considered in PD patients with severe deformities, as outcomes are favorable and comparable to those with milder curvature.

Strength & Limitations

This is a novel study evaluating long-term patient-reported outcomes after PP, comparing patients with severe deformity to those with mild/moderate curvature. The study was limited by retrospective design, relatively low survey response rate (31%), and lack of validated post-operative PD questionnaire.

Conclusion

Long-term patient-reported outcomes of PP for severe PD deformities are comparable to mild/moderate cases, supporting broader application of PP beyond milder deformities.Reddy RS, McKibben MJ, Fuchs JS, et al. Plication for Severe Peyronie's Deformities Has Similar Long-Term Outcomes to Milder Cases. J Sex Med 2018;15:1498–1505.