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Grafting Surgery
For Men With Peyronie's Disease

Grafting surgery is surgical procedure that uses grafts to straighten bent penis and offers good cosmetic correction for men with severe penile deformity.

However, there are some long-term risks associated with the grafting procedure, e.g. of curvature recurrence and new onset of erectile dysfunction. Meaning long-term follow ups tend to show low patient satisfaction with this procedure.

What Is Penile Grafting Surgery?

Personal experienc of grafting surgery for Peyronie's

Grafting is a surgical procedure that involves replacing or expanding scarred penile tissue with healthy tissue (grafts).

It straightens the bent penis by adding tissue (graft) to the shorter side where the plaque is most prominent. As you might remember, grafting is lengthening the shorter side while plication is shortening the longer side.

Grafting is done by either incision or excision of the plaque.

Incision grafting surgery involves making several shallow incisions next to each other and on the Peyronie's scar itself. The incisions relieve and expand under tension, i.e. during erection. Tissue graft is placed over the incisions to aid healing.

Excision grafting surgery involves removing (excising) the scar or plaque tissue. Tissue graft is then used to replace the tissue that was removed.

Incision grafting is the preferred option as removing the plaques increases the risk of erectile dysfunction following the operation. Excision grafting can though be necessary if the plaques are calcified.

Who Is Ideal Candidate For Grafting Surgery?

Peyronie's patients with penis curvature and good erection quality are suitable candidates for either grafting or plication surgery.

To determine which surgery is right for you, your Peyronie's surgeon will evaluate the severity of the penis curvature, the stretched penile length and if penis narrowing is present or not.

Penile grafting is the best surgical option for Peyronie's patients with:

  • Severe penis curvature, 60 degrees or more (some surgeons insist on over 90 degrees)
  • Associated penis deformity present, like hour-glass effects, hinge or waisting
  • Stretched penile length under 10 cm (as there is less risk of penile shortening from grafting operation than plication)

Simply put, grafting surgery is for men with more severe Peyronie's symptoms than those that undergo Plication Surgery. This table helps you to evaluate if grafting or plication is the right surgical option for you.

PD Symptoms Grafting Plication
Erection Quality Good Good
Curvature > 60 degrees < 60 degrees
Stretched Length < 10 cm > 10 cm
Narrowing Yes No

On the other hand Penile Implants are the only option for Peyronie's patients that suffer from erectile dysfunction (ED).

What Are The Grafting Surgery Benefits?

Grafting includes lower risk of penile shortening than plication, hence more suitable for men with shorter penises.

Grafting is also more effective in correcting severe angulations and improving penis girth, i.e. provides better penile stability to resist buckling.

What Are The Downsides Of Penile Grafting Operation?

Men that have penile surgery cannot resume sexual activity immediately after surgery. Penile surgeries are also the most expensive Peyronie's treatment options available.

The biggest downside of grafting for most men with Peyronie's is though the increased risk of Erectile Dysfunction and/or impotence.

What Are The Grafting Side Effects?

There are various potential side effects. The most serious is the inability to achieve or maintain erection (impotence). The risk of erectile dysfunction is though lower when the plaques are not removed (incision).

Other possible side effects include loss of elasticity, mild reduction in sensitivity and scarring or plaque formation around the graft. Penile shortening is a possibility, but less likely and less severe, than if undergoing plication penile surgery.

Does Penile Grafting Involve Any Health Risk?

Surgery is an invasive procedure and always involves some level of risk and it is important to be aware of them. There can be complications during surgery (anesthesia, bleeding) or after the surgery is over (infections, delayed healing).

There are no major complications associated with the grafting procedure as such but there is a real risk of erectile dysfunction and/or becoming impotent.

The Results Of Using Grafting For Peyronie's Disease

Peyronie's graft surgery has showed to be effective for correcting penis curvature in most patients, though some residual curvature may still be present in some cases.

There are some long-term risks associated with the grafting procedure, e.g. of curvature recurrence and new onset of erectile dysfunction.

Find out what Dr. Levine, one of the best known Peyronie's specialists in the world today, has to say about the benefits, side effects and results from the different Peyronie's surgeries.

Scientific Support
For Penile Grafting As Peyronie's Treatment

There are few factors worth having in mind when evaluating grafting operation studies.

Firstly, the results and not least the side effects from excision grafting surgery are usually worse than from incision surgery. The result can also vary based on the grafting material used but the search for the ideal grafting material is still going on.

Most studies and reviews confirm good results in most patients in correcting the penis curvature. They also confirm the possible side effects and risk previously mentioned.

There are though some concerns about the long-term effects. Like this five-year follow-up study that showed more than 65% of patients to be dissatisfied with the outcomes of their Peyronie's graft surgery:

The recurrence of penile curvature, penile length loss, and the new-onset of ED are not uncommon sequelae and are associated with a significant patient dissatisfaction rate when a 5-year follow-up is achieved(J Sex Med. 2011)

Finally, this study compared the results from grafting and plication operations and concluded:

The results of our study have shown that both procedures are effective surgical options for the correction of Peyronie's disease. Plication is a simple procedure with less morbidity. Shortening is a common complaint, regardless of the type of operation done(Urology. 2008)

My Personal Experience
And Opinion Of Peyronie's Graft Surgery

I have no personal experience of penile grafting surgery. Luckily, I found non-surgical treatment that worked for my Peyronie's disease.

However, if you need Peyronie's disease surgery, then the condition of your penis will determine which surgical option is the most suitable for you.

Your are good candidate for Peyronie's graft surgery if you have good quality erection but severe penis curvature (more than 60 degrees), stretched penile length under 10 cm and / or some form of penis narrowing.

If your curvature is less, your stretched penile length is over 10 cm and no penis narrowing, then plication surgery might be better option. However, if you suffer from erectile dysfunction not responsive to medical therapy, then penile implants might be your only option.

If you have already had, or are planning to have penis surgery, then you might want to consider using Andropeyronie traction device to prevent post-surgical penile shortening.




Comments on this article

LunaDeMars01 January 9th, 2017

I had graft surgery for congenital penile curvature one month ago. However, curve is still there. I'm using a vacuum pump to somehow try and stretch the graft material. Hopefully, this may straighten it. I'm not sure though. Doctor told me try it for a month and we're going to see if this works. If not, I may need to have surgery again and this time use the plication technique. Oh well.... all I can do is wait for now and pray for the best. Any advice will be really appreciated. Thanks :-))

  • Birgir January 9th, 2017

    I'm sorry to hear your surgery wasn't as successful as hoped. Hopefully you do not need another surgery.

    My first thought was to recommend trying traction therapy but many Peyronie's doctors (including Dr. Levine) recommend using it following penis surgery to minimize penile shortening (can help with curvature as well).

    Most specialists agree that traction works better than pump for curvature as applies more pressure and for longer.

    However, we are talking about Peyronie's curvature here. Traction does not work on congenital curvature. However, if your doctor is now recommending vacuum pump then he is assuming traction may help following your surgery. So just in case, you may want to discuss this option with him.

    I wish you all the best and sincerely hope you will not need another surgery.

    Kind regards,

    Birgir

Kaltoriii July 13th, 2017

I did have the surgery three weeks ago, and I’m worried that I got both of the side effects, shortness and not feeling some of the parts. All I want to know is that it? Or I still have hope like after month or more things will come around, technically I can’t get really hard cause it’s after the surgery and it hurts so maybe that’s a factor? Like maybe when the pain is gone it well be better? Thanks

  • BirgirJuly 13th, 2017

    Loss of sensitivity is very common after penis surgery but the feeling usually comes back with time. It can however vary how long it takes but if you are concerned you should contact your doctor.

    Regarding penis shortening then that is a very common side effect of penis surgery. However, if you are willing to put in the time and effort then you can gain back the lost length by using traction device.  

    I hope this is of some help and I wish you all the best with your treatment.

    Kind regards,

    Birgir

Dean May, 2018

Had grafting surgery 8 weeks ago to correct my Peyronie's curve problem. Feels like plaque is completely gone.

I still feel like I have a bend that bends in the upward direction,toward my body. It is not completely straight. I was told I could have sexual intercourse last week. Due to no sensation, was not able to penetrate. Extremely discouraged!!!

Have been able to get an erection, although erection is not as strong as prior to surgery. My urologist told me to start taking Cialis daily again to help with blood flow.

Also have numbness, no sensation in the head of the penis. My urologist has told me that the head of the penis is the last area to regain the feeling and sensation.

When can I expect the feeling and sensation to return? Will my erections get stronger over time, when the sensation returns?

  • BirgirMay, 2018

    Thank you for sharing your experience of grafting surgery with My Peyronie’s readers. As I’m not a medical doctor, I cannot answer questions about your specific case. You need to ask your doctor those questions. I can only comment on grafting surgery in general.

    Loss of sensitivity is very common after penis surgery, but it usually returns with time. But how long it will take and if it will be as strong as before the surgery is difficult to say. It’s only been 8 weeks from your surgery so it’s still early days for you. Hopefully your sensation will come back to you in the coming weeks.

    Regarding erection quality, again difficult to say but there are things you can do to improve your erection quality. Cialis is definitely one thing to improve the blood flow but there are many other things you can do, e.g. lifestyle changes, do pelvic floor exercises, use penis vacuum pumps, etc.

    Those things are worth considering by any man over 50 and any man interested in improving his erection quality. But good erection quality is so important, not only for having sexual intercourse but also to avoid new onset of Peyronie’s disease.

    I wish you good luck with your recovery. I know My Peyronie’s readers would appreciate an update from you in few months’ time.

    All the best,

    Birgir

 

Have you undergone penile grafting surgery for your Peyronie's disease?

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Hello, I'm Birgir

This website is based on my experience of Peyronie's disease