Trends in Penile Prosthetics: Influence of Patient Demographics, Surgeon Volume, and Hospital Volume on Type of Penile Prosthesis Inserted in New York State

Abstract

IntroductionPenile prostheses (PPs) are a discrete, well-tolerated treatment option for men with medical refractory erectile dysfunction. Despite the increasing prevalence of erectile dysfunction, multiple series evaluating inpatient data have found a decrease in the frequency of PP surgery during the past decade. AimsTo investigate trends in PP surgery and factors affecting the choice of different PPs in New York State. MethodsThis study used the New York State Department of Health Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative (SPARCS) data cohort that includes longitudinal information on hospital discharges, ambulatory surgery, emergency department visits, and outpatient services. Patients older than 18 years who underwent inflatable or non-inflatable PP insertion from 2000 to 2014 were included in the study. OutcomesInfluence of patient demographics, surgeon volume, and hospital volume on type of PP inserted. ResultsSince 2000, 14,114 patients received PP surgery in New York State; 12,352 PPs (88%) were inflatable and 1,762 (12%) were non-inflatable, with facility-level variation from 0% to 100%. There was an increasing trend in the number of annual procedures performed, with rates of non-inflatable PP insertion decreasing annually (P < .01). More procedures were performed in the ambulatory setting over time (P < .01). Important predictors of device choice were insurance type, year of insertion, hospital and surgeon volume, and the presence of comorbidities. Clinical ImplicationsMajor influences in choice of PP inserted include racial and socioeconomic factors and surgeon and hospital surgical volume. Strengths and LimitationsUse of the SPARCS database, which captures inpatient and outpatient services, allows for more accurate insight into trends in contrast to inpatient sampling alone. However, SPARCS is limited to patients within New York State and the results might not be generalizable to men in other states. Also, patient preference was not accounted for in these analyses, which can play a role in PP selection. ConclusionsDuring the past 14 years, there has been an increasing trend in inflatable PP surgery for the management of erectile dysfunction. Most procedures are performed in the ambulatory setting and not previously captured by prior studies using inpatient data.Kashanian JA, Golan R, Sun T, et al. Trends in Penile Prosthetics: Influence of Patient Demographics, Surgeon Volume, and Hospital Volume on Type of Penile Prosthesis Inserted in New York State. J Sex Med 2018;15:245–250.