Surgical outcomes and prediction of complications following high complexity buried penis reconstruction.

Abstract

With uniform modern approaches to adult acquired buried penis reconstruction, this study provides updated results on surgical outcomes for complex cases while evaluating the relative influence of medical, surgical, and socioeconomic factors on these results. Retrospective review was conducted of all patients undergoing initial buried penis reconstruction including escutcheonectomy and penile skin grafting at one tertiary center from 2015 through 2022. Summary scores for frailty and socioeconomic status were calculated with the modified frailty index (mFI-5) and area deprivation index (ADI), respectively. The cohort included 103 patients. Median age was 51 years (IQR 44-65), and median body mass index was 43 (IQR 38-49). Frail patients (>/= 2 mFI-5 risk factors) accounted for 27% of the population while socioeconomic disadvantage (>/= 85th percentile on ADI) affected 33% of patients. 28% of repairs included a panniculectomy. Rate of revision for a poor outcome was 3.9% with median follow up of 11 months. Complications were frequent (50%) with most being Clavien I or II (41%) and related to wound dehiscence (31%) or infection (30%). Frail patients had a higher rate of complication (71 v. 41%, p = 0.01) and were six times more likely to experience a complication on multivariable logistic regression (OR 6.41, 95% CI: 1.77-23.22, p = 0.005). The modern approach to complex buried penis reconstruction results in a low revision rate, however, low-grade complications are frequent. Patient frailty identifies those at highest risk for complication offering an opportunity for counseling and pre-operative preparation.