Long-Term Significance of the Number of Hours until Surgical Repair of Penile Fractures

Abstract

Objectives: We investigated whether a delay in time until surgery, in terms of hours, has any effect on the overall long-term results of surgical repair of penile fractures. Methods: Between 2001 and 2009, we operated on 56 patients with penile fractures. We evaluated 43 patients sorted into 3 groups according to the time interval until surgery. We applied the validated Turkish version of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) questionnaire 3 times: for the time period before the fracture, 1 year after the fracture, and at the time of the study. An erectile dysfunction score was calculated for every patient. Results: Overall, the mean follow-up was 46.1 ± 19.2 months. The mean number of hours from trauma to surgery was 11.3 ± 8.5. There was no statistically significant difference between the 3 groups in terms of age and length of tears. The results of the IIEF questionnaires of each group for time periods and for individual patients in each separate group were statistically similar. Conclusions: Surgical repair has a good functional outcome and low complication rates in the long term. Neither serious deformities nor erectile dysfunction occur as a consequence of a delay in surgery in the long term in patients with no urethral involvement within a given period of time.