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Peyronie's Disease Q&A

What is Peyronie’s disease?

Peyronie’s disease develops when scar tissue causes your penis to curve, bend, or lose length or girth. You might be able to feel the scarring or plaque through your skin, or your penis may be painful as scar tissue forms.

When you get an erection, your penis might bend upward, to the side, or down, depending on where the scarring is. Some men with Peyronie’s disease have an indentation that makes the penis hourglass-shaped rather than bent.

Having Peyronie’s disease can affect your sex life, causing penile pain and making intercourse uncomfortable.

What causes Peyronie’s disease?

Peyronie’s disease develops when your body tries to heal an injured penis. Injuries can happen during sex if you bend your penis too far, or you might damage it when playing sports.

The scar tissue created during healing restricts the tissues in your penis. When you get an erection, the scarred area doesn’t expand like the rest of your penis, creating an abnormal shape and causing painful stretching.

Not every man who has a penis injury gets Peyronie’s disease. Your risk is higher if you have a connective tissue condition like Dupuytren’s contracture or a close family member has Peyronie’s disease. 

Peyronie’s disease is more common in men with diabetes and those who smoke because these reduce your body’s ability to heal itself.

How is Peyronie’s disease treated?

Medications like tadalafil (Cialis®) might help with Peyronie’s disease by improving blood flow to your penis. Traction (stretching) therapy can also help by relieving tension in the scar tissue and encouraging scarring to reshape into more normal tissue.

The Pasadena Urological Medical Group team has had excellent results using an injectable therapy called Xiaflex® (collagenase clostridium histolyticum), which breaks down the collagen in the scar tissue.

Dr. Chandrasoma at Pasadena Urological Medical Group has extensive experience in Peyronie’s disease management, working closely with Dr. Martin Gelbard for 10 years in the Xiaflex injectable curvature solution pilot study.

Does Peyronie’s disease require surgery?

Peyronie’s disease surgery might be necessary if you have severe, disabling abnormalities. Surgery might involve making the side of your penis opposite the curved area shorter or lengthening the curved side to straighten your penis. Penile prosthesis implants can also help to straighten the penis.

Dr. Chandrasoma has long-standing experience with the advanced reconstructive surgical management of Peyronie’s disease.

For help with painful, distressing Peyronie’s disease symptoms, call Pasadena Urological Medical Group or book an appointment online today.