Treatment for Peyronie’s Disease in Lubbock, TX

Symptoms and Causes of Peyronie’s Disease

Because Peyronie’s disease will have effects that are both tangible and visible, the symptoms are commonly noticeable to the naked eye. In over 70% of cases, the scar tissue will develop on the top of the penis causing it to bend upwards during an erection. If the scar tissues develops on the bottom or side of the penis, it will bend downward or sideways during an erection. In rare cases, the scar tissue may develop all around the penis, causing the shaft to narrow and become very hard.

If you are experiencing any of the following, you may be experiencing Peyronie’s disease:

• Pain during sex, or pain during an erection
• Hard spots or lumps in the penis
• Bends or curves in the penis
• Narrowing or shortening of the penis
• Scar tissue formation within the shaft of the penis
• Penile curvature
• Erectile dysfunction
• Deformity such as an hourglass appearance

Most often, Peyronie’s disease is caused by injury to the penis due to sports athletic activity, aggressive sex, or an accident of some sort. However, there have been cases in which the disease is part of a larger autoimmune issue. If the disease attacks cells within the penis, it can lead to inflammation and scarring.

Because the chances of getting Peyronie’s disease increases with age due to changes in the elasticity of the penis, men over the age of 50 are more commonly affected. In addition, men with a more active sexual lifestyle that may cause injuries to the penis, or men who have a family history of Peyronie’s disease have a higher chance of developing it over their lifetime.

Other causes of Peyronie’s disease include:

• Advancing age
• Diabetes
• Low testosterone
• Prostatectomy
• Erectile dysfunction
• History of soft tissue scarring disorders such as Dupuytren’s contracture
• Congenital penile curvature
• Erection that appears to be full at the base but tapers toward the head

Can Peyronie’s Disease Affect Erections?

Erectile dysfunction and Peyronie’s disease often coexist. Medical conditions such as diabetes or prostate cancer may lead to ED or PD. Sometimes treatment for other diseases, such as surgery or radiation for prostate cancer can lead to symptoms of PD and ED. Erections are affected due to the inelastic scar tissue formation within the penile shaft. Therefore, treatment options for PD may lead to improvement in erections.

How does Covenant Health Urology Group Treat Peyronie’s Disease?

The overall goal of treatment is to reduce pain and strengthen the ability to have intercourse. If you are not experiencing pain, and having very little issues with penile curvature, you may not need treatment until the symptoms progress. In a few cases, the disease will resolve itself without any treatment.

Because there is a risk of erectile dysfunction associated with Peyronie’s disease, you may get recommended a change in lifestyle. This can include decreasing the amount of vigorous sexual activity or aggressive sports and quitting any smoking, illegal drugs, or alcohol consumption.

Nonsurgical Treatments

With medications and therapies, Peyronie’s disease can be effectively managed over time, pending the severity. Your urologist may prescribe a series of medications that may help inflammation or development of scar tissue. These treatments can include:

• Steroid injections
• Vitamin E
• Colchicine
• Carnitine
• Collagenase Injections

Research has failed to demonstrate effective results after treatment with the above listed medications. Some physicians may choose to prescribe Verapamil cream or other ointments to apply to the penile shaft. Again, there are no convincing data that suggest ointments reduce curvature. There may be some benefit for injection of Verapamil into the Peyronie’s plaque.

These treatments must be discussed with your doctor prior, as they will be highly dependent on other health factors.

Xiaflex

In 2012, a medication known as Xiaflex was cleared by the Food and Drug Administration for treatment of Peyronie’s disease. This medication is injected into the penile plaque in series of injections known as cycles.

More details of the Xiaflex treatment process can be found here. 

Although effective, treatment with Xiaflex takes time. Some men opt for treatment options that offer quicker results. Surgical options such as penile plication or incision/excision and grafting are available. Men with more exaggerated curvature or who are unable to complete the Xiaflex treatment course often choose the surgical route.

Surgical Treatments

If you are experiencing severe issues with penile curvature or pain, surgery may be recommended. The types of surgery will depend on the severity, but may include grafting or device implantation. Most commonly, the surgeries will include the following:

• Placing a prosthetic device inside the penis.
• Correcting the opposite side of the penis from the scar tissue.

Non-medical or surgical options are also available. Penile traction devices may be used as an aid to manually breakdown scar tissue associated with penile curvature. Vacuum erections devices may also be used to help reduce symptoms associated with PD. Such devices can be found from online retailers such as Amazon.com.

Recovery After the Procedure

Immediately following a vasectomy, there will be bruising and swelling, but those symptoms should subside after a few days. Apply ice packs every few hours to help control these symptoms. Wear tight-fitting underwear so that the scrotum is provided extra support.

Get plenty of bed rest during the first week. At the very least, stay off of your feet for two or three days. Avoid bathing for about 48 hours because this will allow the incisions to heal faster and prevent infection. Take the antibiotics that your doctor provides.

Most patients are able to return to their normal lives after one week.