Peyronie’s disease surgery Frequently Asked Question’s
Which surgical technique is the most successful to treat Peyronie’s?
In general, we do not believe there are best techniques but rather the best surgeons. All the techniques we employ have been significantly developed by our surgeons leading to high success rates and patient satisfaction, irrespective of the technique employed.
All surgical techniques have advantages and disadvantages depending on an individual patient’s profile and the most important thing is that the appropriate technique is selected for the appropriate patient.
Am I a good candidate for surgical treatment?
Surgery remains the gold standard for the majority of Peyronie’s patients. However, as we explain in the treatment options section, we suggest that less invasive treatments are considered initially, before proceeding with a surgical technique.
How long does the operation take?
All our Peyronie’s surgeries are day admission treatments and take between 1 and 2 hours of operating time. This means that the whole process (from admission to discharge from the clinic) is around 6 hours, after which you can return to your home or work.
Do I need general anaesthesia?
You are put to sleep just before the operation starts and wake up just after the surgeon finishes – so in total, you will be under anaesthesia for around 2 hours.
How long do I need to stay in the hospital for?
After the operation you would need to stay in hospital for 3-4 hours. During this time you will be attended by our nurse, provided with food, be reviewed by your surgeon and then you will be ready to go home. You will be able to walk and function normally, usually with very little pain or discomfort.
I am travelling from abroad – how long do I need to stay for follow up after my surgery?
You will have a follow up in office consultation the next day after your operation with your surgeon to check that everything is fine. After this, most patients can travel although we recommend that you stay for a further 1-2 days so that you can have further follow-ups over the next few days with your surgeon if required.
What do I need to do to prepare for the operation?
Practically nothing – although following a healthy lifestyle (in terms of diet, exercise, smoking and alcohol consumption) the preceding month is advised since this will assist with the recovery. Moreover, you will be given detailed fasting instructions that you will need to follow 6 hours before the surgery. However, if you have fallen ill or there are any other recent health concerns, make sure you inform your surgeon as soon as possible so as to evaluate whether the surgery can go ahead. If there are any other things you need to do pre-operatively, your doctor will inform you during your consultation.
What is the cost of the surgical treatment?
As an indication, for self-paying patients, the all-inclusive cost for Peyronie’s surgery begins at £5500.
How experienced are your surgeons?
Our surgeons are focused exclusively on male urogenital surgery and have also published extensively on the diagnosis and treatment of Peyronie’s disease. In fact, we are an international referral centre and patients travel from all over the world to consult with our surgeons.
Equally important is the fact that as an international network of andrology practices, we have developed very strict and state of the art surgical procedures and have monthly sessions during which our surgeons share their experiences and discuss difficult cases hence constantly improving and sharing the best surgical techniques employed.
This means that the surgeons of our group have a combined experience of over 1500 Peyronie’s disease surgical corrections which is one of the highest in the world.
What are your success rates?
We define our surgical success rate in three ways:
- No major complications
- No significant curvature recurrence
- Demonstrable patient satisfaction
Based on these three criteria, our success rate is more than 95% for Peyronie’s surgical correction, which is significantly higher than that reported in medical literature. We believe a very important element that results in such high success rates, beyond the surgical skills of our doctors, is the correct patient selection in terms of tailoring the surgical technique and also the very extensive post-surgical follow-up care provided to our patients. Our experience suggests that this is of paramount importance for successful surgical outcomes.
Do you have any patient testimonials?
Yes. We have extensive patient testimonials (published anonymously here) and we can also put you in contact with individual patients either via phone or email if you would like to know more about their surgical experience in our clinic.
What do I need to do after the surgery?
The day after your operation, you will need to attend a follow-up consultation with your surgeon, during which he will give you detailed post-operative instructions, change your medical dressing and answer any questions that you might have.
After that and until your next in-office consultation (usually a month later) your surgeon and our patient co-ordination team will be in close contact with you requesting regular updates and also addressing any concerns you might have.
Two weeks after your surgery (unless instructed otherwise) you will need to start post-operative rehabilitation which involves penile stretching and/or exercises with a Vacuum Erection device (for more information see here) – detailed instructions will be provided to you post-operatively.
How long do I need to take of work in order to have the surgery?
Most patients can return to office work 2-5 days after their operation. If your work involves heavy physical activity, then you will need a bit longer off work, which you will discuss with your surgeon.
How long after the surgery can I resume sexual activity?
Sexual activities can resume 4-6 weeks after your treatment unless your surgeon advised otherwise.
Will I experience pain after the operation?
Some mild pain and discomfort can be expected but this can be treated with over the counter oral painkillers. Same patients, especially younger men, may feel pain during their erections in the first few days after surgery.
Are there any potential complications?
All our operations are minimally invasive and most complications can be treated with common medication.
Most patients will experience some swelling of the penis which will subside in the first few days after the operation. Rare complications (associated with any type of surgery) may include bleeding, infection (you will be prescribed antibiotics to prevent this), localised tissue damage (blood vessels, nerves, penis glans, urethra), temporary/ permanent glan numbness, recurrence or residual curvature, penile shortening, post-operative erectile dysfunction and in some cases penile bulging. During your pre-operative consultation, the risks of the operation will be explained and your surgeon will answer any questions that you might have.
I am suffering from a what I suspect is Peyronies disease, what should I do next?
If you believe you are suffering from Peyronies and it causes you significant concern we advise you to see a specialist urologist/andrologist.
Our doctors have vast experience treating Peyronies and our clinic is an international referral centre for patients suffering from this condition. We would be happy to review your case and treat you in our clinic.