The Surgical Treatment of Peyronie’s Disease in the Older Man: Patient Characteristics and Surgical Outcomes in Men 65 and Older

Abstract

IntroductionSurgery remains the gold standard for the correction of penile deformities secondary to Peyronie’s disease (PD). Nevertheless, there is no published data on the surgical treatment of PD in older men. AimConsidering the aging national and international population, we sought to evaluate the pre-operative characteristics and surgical outcomes of men aged 65 or older who underwent surgical treatment for PD at our tertiary care institution. MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed the charts of all men 65 years or older who underwent surgery for PD from January 2010 to September 2017. We compared men who underwent penile prosthesis implantation with straightening maneuvers (PP+SMs), tunica albuginea plication (TAP), and plaque partial excision with grafting (PEG). Main Outcome MeasureThe main objective of this study was to find the baseline pre-operative patient characteristics and postoperative patient-reported outcomes. ResultsA total of 86 men with a median age of 68 years underwent surgery during the study period. 39 men underwent PP+SM (45%), 25 men a TAP (29%), and 22 men a PEG (26%). The mean curvature for all men was 59.9 ± 22.0° (range 0−105°). Those who underwent a PEG had a mean ± SD degree of curvature of 78.6 ± 16.6°, significantly higher than those who underwent PP+SM or TAP (49.1 ± 20.2° and 61.4 ± 17.4°, respectively; P < .001). Moreover, men who underwent a PEG had significantly more complex penile deformities (eg, narrowing with hinge effect) and better reported baseline erectile function compared with men who underwent PP+SM or TAP. Overall, 95% of all men reported having a functionally straight penis postoperatively with 94% engaging in penetrative intercourse at last follow-up. Overall, patient-reported satisfaction was 85% with a median follow-up of 43.5 months. Clinical ImplicationsOur findings suggest that the surgical treatment of PD in older men is safe, effective, and associated with high patient satisfaction. Although this represents a surgical series susceptible to selection bias, it underscores the importance of patient selection and counseling in achieving good surgical outcomes. Strengths & LimitationsOur study is the first to report on outcomes of surgical treatment of PD in an elderly patient population with relatively long-term follow-up. Our limitations include a small sample size, single operating surgeon, and the lack of a younger comparison group. ConclusionDespite an aging global population, surgery remains a viable and reliable option for the properly selected and counseled older men with PD.Abdelsayed GA, Setia SA, Levine LA. The Surgical Treatment of Peyronie’s Disease in the Older Man: Patient Characteristics and Surgical Outcomes in Men 65 and Older. J Sex Med 2019;16:1820–1826.