Straight Talk on Penile Curvature: Symptoms and Advanced Care for Peyronie’s Disease

Peyronie’s disease is a condition that causes a man’s penis to bend, curve, or lose length due to excess scar tissue. Researchers estimate that it affects between 6% and 10% of men age 40-70, but the numbers may be even higher because of stigma and embarrassment. 

At Advanced Southern Westchester Medical in Yonkers, New York, urologist Sherif S. El-Masry, MD, regularly works with men to diagnose and treat Peyronie’s disease. This month’s blog explains what Peyronie’s disease is, some of its common symptoms, and how professional treatment can prevent it from worsening.

Understanding Peyronie’s disease

Peyronie’s disease is a men’s health condition that causes the penis to bend or curve abnormally due to the formation of plaques (scar tissue). Typically, scar tissue forms because of the erect penis bending awkwardly during sex. However, up to 80% of men with Peyronie’s disease say they don’t remember a specific event that’s responsible.

Regardless of the cause, many men don’t seek treatment because they’re embarrassed to discuss these symptoms with their doctor. 

Common symptoms of Peyronie’s disease

Peyronie’s disease symptoms affect everyone differently and vary from person to person. Telltale signs include:

• Lumps in the penis
• An abnormal bending or curving of the penis when it’s erect
• Painful erections
• Pain while having sex (dyspareunia)
• A loss of penis length
• Loss of girth in the penis shaft

Sometimes, Peyronie’s disease occurs suddenly, triggering immediate symptoms. Other times, it develops slowly, with symptoms becoming more noticeable over the years. 

When to see a urologist about Peyronie’s disease

Schedule an evaluation with Dr. El-Masry if you develop any of the above symptoms. It’s especially important if the symptoms become noticeably worse, affect your ability to maintain an erection long enough to have sex, or contribute to erectile dysfunction.

Without treatment, the bend in your penis may worsen and make sex very painful or impossible. 

Remember that there’s nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed about. Experts don’t know why some men develop Peyronie’s disease and others don’t, but genetics and environmental factors may play a role. Either way, treatment is available, and the sooner you begin, the less likely you are to experience complications. 

Treatments for Peyronie’s disease

Dr. El-Masry offers several treatments for Peyronie’s disease. Depending on your age, lifestyle, and symptom severity, he may recommend:

Xiaflex® injections

Xiaflex (collagenase clostridium histolyticum) is a medication originally developed to treat Dupuytren contracture, a condition that causes the connective tissue in the palms of the hands to thicken and shorten.

A few years later, it received FDA approval to treat Peyronie’s disease, which is caused by a similar issue: plaque formation.

Dr. El-Masry provides Xiaflex injections onsite. Treatment involves a series of six injections spaced 10 days apart.

Traction therapy

Traction therapy involves using a nonsurgical penile traction device to gently stretch the penis and, in some cases, bend it in the opposite direction of the abnormal curve. This approach helps break down scar tissue, improving the curvature of the penis and restoring lost length. 

Oral medications

Sometimes, Dr. El-Masry prescribes oral medications, such as Cialis® or Viagra®. These drugs don’t improve the curvature of your penis, but they may help relieve symptoms and make it easier to have sex. 

Surgery

If you have severe Peyronie’s disease that prevents you from getting an erection or having sex, Dr. El-Masry could recommend surgery. There are several types of surgery, including:

• A procedure to shorten the affected side of the penis
• A grafting procedure that lengthens the shorter side of the penis on the inside of the curve
• Penile implant surgery

Surgery is always a last resort, and Dr. El-Masry only recommends it when other treatments have been exhausted.

Concerned about penile curvature? Contact us today

An abnormal penile curvature isn’t something you should ignore. Don’t wait to contact us if you’re concerned about your ability to get or maintain erections and it’s affecting your quality of life. 

To receive personalized guidance from our compassionate team, schedule an appointment by calling Advanced Southern Westchester Medical at 914-375-5700 today.