Peer-review started: December 29, 2014
First decision: January 8, 2015
Revised: February 2, 2015
Accepted: February 10, 2015
Article in press: February 12, 2015
Published online: March 24, 2015
Surgical treatment of Peyronie’s disease (PD) is still a challenge and a gold standard approach does not exist; however the main goal is to straight penile shaft, and to restore penetrative and coital capacity. The less invasive approach aims to correct curvature without intervening directly on the fibrous plaque while the more complex “corporoplasty” applies specific geometric criteria and uses different autologous and heterologous grafts. Each approach has its pros and cons and decision-making should be tailored to the individual patient’s expectations. Other surgical options include different use of patches to cover the tunica albuginea defect, with the choice depending on the surgeon’s personal experience. Despite the wide range of autologous (buccal mucosa, vein, dermis, etc.) and heterologous grafts (bovine pericardium, swine intestinal submucosa, porcine dermis, etc.) none currently represents the real “gold standard” because the data are extremely variable and frequently not representative. Several factors seem to favor buccal mucosa grafts over inert biocompatible materials: as vital tissue, buccal mucosa tends to heal rapidly, immediately integrating with the surrounding albuginea tissue. This translates into a more rapid resumption of spontaneous erections (after 3/4 d) and sexual activity and into a reduced risk of curvature relapse and erectile dysfunction after surgery. Another advantage of the buccal mucosa graft is its low cost. In conclusion, despite the recent development of some exciting new surgical techniques we are still unable to deliver a definitive take-home message about reconstructive surgery in PD because the majority of the studies reported insufficient data. However, since it is clear that major outcomes, besides the cosmetic result, are the patient’s and partner’s satisfaction and the economic impact of each technique, we recommend they be included among the outcome assessment parameters in further studies
Core tip: Surgical treatment of Peyronie’s disease is still a challenge and a “gold standard” approach does not exist. This paper tries to review the main surgical techniques making an assessment of functional and aesthetical results, underling costs and benefits.