Adult Patient's Opinions on Surgical Correction of Congenital Penile Curvature

Abstract

ABSTRACT Introduction Congenital penile curvature is common and presents with varying levels of severity. The curvature may present during infancy or post-pubertal. Historically, treatment has consisted of surgical correction, typically with penile plication or complex grafting procedures. Most pediatric urologists recommend surgical management for penile curvature (PC) based on curvature severity, with previous work identifying ≥ 30° as a common threshold to recommend correction. Objective To assess adult patients’ opinions on willingness to consider surgical correction for PC in order to determine if this aligns with pediatric urologists’ opinions. Methods In this cross-sectional study, a survey was administered to adult patients and their partners (> 18 years of age) in general adult urology clinics at 3 geographically separate institutions. The survey consisted of unlabeled images of penis models with varying degrees of PC (range 10-90°). Respondents were asked to select the images they would want surgically corrected for themselves or their partners. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed to identify demographic variables associated with willingness to consider correction (p-values < .05 considered significant). Results Response rate was 77% (300/388). The majority (80%) of participants chose to surgically correct PC, however 20% chose to not surgically correct any degree of PC. Most participants were male (70%), married (62%), heterosexual (92%), and did not work in healthcare (80%) (Table 1). Among those who endorsed willingness to surgically correct PC, the average threshold for correction was 40.5° (SD 25.3). On univariable analysis, there was a significant difference in willingness to undergo PC correction based on gender, age groups, sexual orientation, and region (Table 1). Male patients were more likely to consider surgery at a lower degree of PC compared to females (36.6° vs 50.6°, p<.001). Those who identified as heterosexual also had a lower threshold for correction compared to those identifying as LGBTQ (39.6° vs 56.4°, p=.015). Midwestern residents endorsed an average threshold for correction of 21.5° compared to other regions varying between 40° to 60° (p<.001). Regionality differences remained true on multivariable analysis when accounting for all demographic features (p<.001). Conclusions In surveying adult patients, we identified an average PC threshold of 40° beyond which surgical correction was desired. Females and LGBTQ+ participants had a higher threshold for surgical correction, but when accounting for all demographic factors, only residence in the Midwest US was associated with a lower threshold for correction. Disclosure No