Management of Ischemic Priapism by Penile Prosthesis Insertion: Prevention of Distal Erosion

Purpose: Refractory ischemic priapism results in cavernous smooth muscle necrosis, fibrosis and eventual penile shortening. Immediate penile implant insertion for acute ischemic priapism is done to avoid consequent fibrosis and shortening but ineffective shunt surgery trials may lead to potential weakness and erosion at the corporeal tip. We evaluate nonabsorbable sling sutures to fix the implant cylinder in place and prevent protrusion through the weak corporeal tip. Materials and Methods: We prospectively evaluated 12 men who presented with prolonged refractory ischemic priapism a median of 120 hours (range 60 to 168) in duration. All patients were unresponsive to conventional treatment and 11 had undergone unsuccessful shunt surgery. Early malleable penile prosthesis implantation had been done in all cases. To avoid possible distal protrusion a nonabsorbable sling suture was taken through the cylinder and the edges of the opened tunicae albuginea to fix the cylinder to the corporotomy edges. Results: Penile implants were successfully inserted in all patients. No intraoperative or early postoperative complications were noted except in 1 with sickle cell priapism, in whom dilation led to unilateral corporeal perforation, which was managed intraoperatively. All patients were satisfied with the surgical results. No distal erosion was noted through the weak corporeal tip. No postoperative infection was reported at a median followup of 15 months (range 6 to 36). All patients successfully achieved sexual intercourse. Conclusions: Early penile prosthesis insertion for acute ischemic priapism is simple and successful. Distal cylinder protrusion,through the defective corpora due to previous shunt surgery remains to confound surgical success. Nonabsorbable sling suture of the cylinder to the tunica albuginea is effective, simple and safe treatment for this formidable complication.