What Is Peyronie's Disease?
Peyronie’s disease is when your penis bends or curves when you get an erection. You may experience pain with your erection if you have Peyronie’s disease.
How Common Is Peyronie’s Disease?
Peyronie’s disease is relatively common in older men. It affects up to 10% of men. It can occur at any age, but it is most common in men ages 45–70.
Peyronie’s Disease vs. Typical Curvature
Penises vary in size and shape. It’s normal for some people to have a curve in their penis, with or without an erection. In Peyronie’s disease, the curvature can be so severe that it interferes with sex. These symptoms cause significant stress and anxiety for many people.
Peyronie's Disease Symptoms
You typically notice signs of Peyronie’s disease when you get an erection:
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A bend or curve in your penis
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Difficulty getting or keeping erections (erectile dysfunction)
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Pain with or without an erection
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Scar tissue, which may feel like hard spots beneath the skin of your penis
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Shortening of your penis
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What Causes Peyronie’s Disease?
Researchers don’t know exactly what causes Peyronie’s disease. Research suggests scar tissue (plaque) forms under the skin of your penis. Experts believe this scar tissue develops when your penis doesn’t heal as it should after an injury. However, many people with the condition can’t identify a specific injury that led to symptoms.
Peyronie's Disease Treatment
Our specialists offer a range of treatments to help improve your symptoms and quality of life:
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Medications—Medicines help reduce inflammation and prevent more scar tissue from developing. Taking medications works best in early stages.
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Penile traction therapy—You wear a therapy device over your penis. This will stretch and straighten your penis over time. These devices fit comfortably and discreetly beneath your clothing.
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Penile modeling—We will give you a traction device along with an exercise to straighten your penis. Perform this exercise only if you experience a spontaneous erection. You shouldn’t practice penis straightening more than once daily:
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Hold your penis by its tip and stretch it out slightly.
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Identify your scar tissue as a bending point. Bend your penis gently in the opposite direction of your curve.
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Hold the stretch for 30 seconds, then release.
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Rest for 30 seconds. Repeat the exercise twice for a total of three times.
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Penile injections—Penile injections are one of the most common treatments for Peyronie’s disease. Your provider will inject your penis with a numbing medicine before injecting a medication. Your provider will wrap your penis in a pressure bandage to prevent swelling and bruising. You can remove the bandage after about three hours. You’ll need to avoid sexual activity for 24 hours. You may get 2–6 injections over a few weeks. Injections are often used along with penile modeling.
How Long Does It Take to Cure Peyronie’s Disease?
How long it takes to cure Peyronie’s disease depends on what treatment you get. Surgery corrects the curve in your penis immediately. Other treatments, like injections and traction therapy, may take about six months.
Peyronie's Disease Surgery
You may get surgery to correct the curve in your penis. We usually recommend surgery when other therapies haven’t worked as well as you’d like. Your provider will discuss the right surgical option for you:
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Penile plication—Your provider will place stitches in the tissue of your penis. This will correct the curve effectively and permanently. It doesn’t correct any width or length changes caused by Peyronie’s disease.
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Penile grafting—Your provider will remove scar tissue and replace it with a synthetic tissue graft. This technique can correct both curvature and length or width loss.
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Penile implant—Your urologic surgeon will insert a device in your penis to help you achieve an erection. We may recommend this option if you have erectile dysfunction along with Peyronie’s disease.
Why Choose University of Utah Health?
Our team includes fellowship-trained urologists and experienced advanced practice providers. We specialize in conditions that affect men’s sexual health and fertility. Our team creates a safe, empathetic, supportive environment to discuss your needs and concerns. Our experts provide many treatments to help increase your quality of life and sexual health.
Schedule an Appointment
Call 801-587-1454 or request an appointment online to connect with our team. You don’t need a referral to make an appointment. Our financial counselor will confirm your insurance coverage and review overall costs with you.
