9250 Corkscrew Rd. STE 15, Estero, FL 33928
©Copyright 2021 – www.drmelirvine.com | All Rights Reserved | Disclaimer
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA. Our Privacy Policy & Terms of Service apply.
What is Peyronie’s Disease?
Peyronie’s disease is a condition in which plaques (segments of flat scar tissue) form under the skin of the penis. These plaques result in bending or indenting of the penis during erections. You can typically feel the plaques through the skin, and they can be quite painful for the person with Peyronie’s.
The penis consists of three tubes, one of which is the urethra, responsible for carrying urine or semen out of the body. The other two tubes are soft and spongy, and fill with blood during an erection. All three tubes are wrapped together by a very tough fibrous sheath called the tunica albuginea. It is this sheath that affects Peyronie’s affects.
In most Peyronie’s disease cases, the plaques form on the top of the penis. The plaques make the tunica albuginea less flexible, which results in a bending of the penis when it stiffens. If the plaques form on the top, the penis bends up; if they form on the bottom, it bends down, and so forth. In some cases, men have more than one plaque, which can cause complex curves.
Sometimes the plaques go all the way around the penis. Instead of causing bending, these plaques instead cause a bottlenecking effect on the penis because it causes the penis to narrow like the neck of a bottle.
In extreme cases of Peyronie’s disease, the plaque collects calcium and becomes as hard as bone.
Peyronie’s disease can be split into two phases: acute and chronic. During the acute phase, which often lasts a few months, the plaques form, bending/curving worsen, and erections can be painful. The plaques stop growing during the chronic phase, and erections typically no longer hurt.
Peyronie’s disease can also cause emotional turmoil, and many men may be stressed or depressed about their condition.
What Causes Peyronie’s Disease?
The most common cause of Peyronie’s disease is a minor injury to the penis. One example of this is vigorous sex, in which the penis bends during penetration or there is continuous pressure from the partner’s pubic bone. However, sports or other accidents can also injure the penis.
Peyronie’s disease results from the way the body heals wounds. When the tunica albuginea is injured, scar tissue can form in the cells, and this scar tissue then forms the plaques that are characteristic of Peyronie’s.
However, not everyone who suffers mild trauma to the penis develops these plaques, so there is likely another genetic or environmental reason.
Treatments
Oral Medication
Oral medications are more effective for those who are badly affected by Peyronie’s disease during its acute phase. Some medications help to make plaques smaller, straighten the penis, and reduce swelling.PRP Therapy
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapies are growing increasingly popular across all areas of health and wellness. Part of the appeal of these therapies is that they utilize the patient’s own blood cells to help accelerate healing in a specific area of the body.By using your own blood, PRP therapies are safe to use and can even be used alongside other procedures with no fear of associated complications.
Platelet-rich plasma consists of two elements, plasma, which is the liquid portion of your blood, and platelets, a blood cell that plays an essential role in healing. While platelets are most commonly known for their clotting abilities, they also contain growth factors that can trigger cell reproduction and tissue regeneration, which leads to healing in the treated area.
Platelet-rich plasma is simply blood that contains a higher concentration of platelets than normal.
This is collected by extracting a sample of blood from the patient and then spinning it in a centrifuge, which is a machine that spins the blood at high speed to extract the platelets.
It is then formed into a serum and injected into the penis. The platelets then work to create new, healthy cells and tissues while also breaking down the plaques and healing the tissue.
Shockwave Therapy
For those who want to avoid medications or injections, shockwave therapy is another option.The low-intensity shockwaves help to speed up tissue repair and cell growth. When directed at the plaques on the penis, it breaks them down and helps reduce pain while also reducing the curvature of the penis.
This treatment involves a wand-like device, which is placed near different areas of the penis. The doctor will move the device along specific parts of the penis for about 15 minutes while the device emits gentle pulses. These pulses help to improve blood flow and trigger remodeling in the penis, breaking down the plaques.
Shockwave therapy is painless for most men and has very few, if any, side effects.
