Dr Varinder Attri – Urologist, Andrologist and Laparoscopic surgeon

Congenital curvature of penis, as name suggest, is the bend or deviation of penis, present since birth. It often goes unnoticed until childhood, when it becomes obivous on erection during puberty. Sometimes, married couple may come with complaint of failed intercourse due to extreme curvature.

Read how it is different from Peyronie disease Curvature of penis (Peyronie’s disease)

What are the symptoms of curvature penis ?

Symptoms of curvature penis are attributed to the degree of its deviation. Mild downward or lateral bend often goes unnoticed as it does not affect in sexual life. In extreme cases, person have sexual and psychological symptoms with traumatic and distressing sexual experience. Person often fails to achieve erect erection due to penile bend, with failure in having penetrative sexual act. This leads to decreased self esteem and self confidence and causing embarrassment, which can lead on to erectile dysfunction. These erections can also be diminished or painful due to stretching of skin. Read how erectile dysfunction patient present at Erectile dysfunction – causes, diagnosis and treatment

What are the causes for penile curvature ?

Well, the exact cause for its development is still unknown but it’s proposed to be due to unequal growth of the corpora cavernosa (two erectile chambers in shaft of penis) and its overlying coverings.

How is this condition diagnosed ?

Congenital curvature of penis is diagnosed by physical examination while the penis is in full erection and cannot be evaluated in flaccid state. This curvature is mostly in downward but can also be toward any lateral side. It should be kept in mind that few degree of lateral curvature is often normal in men and does not affect sexual life. But extreme degree of bend in any direction is diagnosed as curvature of penis.

What is the treatment for curvature penis ?

Few degree of curvature often goes unnoticed by majority of men as it does not affect sexual life. However, when its to the extent that it affect the sexual life of a person, it need correction, which is achieved by surgery. At present, there is no other therapy which works for the curvature correction. Few have tried traction devices but results are poor.

Surgery is done by plication of the convex side. This can lead to little decrease in length of penis after surgery. This loss of length depends upon the initial severity of curvature in an individual.

Do all patients with curvature of penis need correction ?

No, only patients with great degree of curvature with failure to have sexual intercourse, need surgery.

What are the long term results of the surgery ?

The results of the correction surgery for curvature penis lasts forever. The results do not diminish over time and person can lead healthy sexual life after surgery.

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