Delayed placement of an inflatable penile prosthesis is associated with a high complication rate in men with a history of ischemic priapism

Abstract

Background Corporal fibrosis is known to result from prolonged priapism; however, the impact of the timing of penile prosthesis placement after priapism on complication rates is poorly understood. Aim We sought to evaluate the impact of timing of inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP) placement on complications in men with a history of ischemic priapism. Methods We performed a multicenter, retrospective cohort study of patients with a history of priapism undergoing IPP placement by 10 experienced implantation surgeons. We defined early placement as ≤6 months from priapism to IPP. We identified a 1:1 propensity-matched group of men without a history of priapism and compared complication rates between men who had early placement, late placement, and no history of priapism. Outcomes Our primary outcome was postoperative noninfectious complications, and secondary outcomes included intraoperative complications and postoperative infection. Results A total of 124 men were included in the study with a mean age of 50.3 ± 12.7 years. A total of 62 had a history of priapism and 62 were matched control subjects. The median duration of priapism was 37 (range, 3-168) hours and the median time from ischemic priapism to IPP placement was 15 months (range, 3 days to 23 years). Fifteen (24%) men underwent early (≤6 months) IPP placement at a median time of 2 months (range, 3 days to 6 months) following the ischemic priapism event. The remaining 47 (76%) underwent placement >6 months following priapism at a median time of 31.5 months (range, 7 months to 23 years). The complication rate in the delayed placement group was 40.5% compared with 0% in the early placement group and control group. Cylinder-related complications such as migration or leak accounted for 8 (57%) of 14 of the postoperative noninfectious complications. Full-sized cylinders were used in all patients who had a cylinder related complication. Clinical Implications Priapism patients should be referred to prosthetic experts early to decrease complication rates in those needing an IPP. Strengths and Limitations This is a multicenter study from experienced prosthetic urologists but is limited by the retrospective nature and small number of patients in the early placement group. Conclusion IPP complication rates are high in men with a history of ischemic priapism, especially when implantation is delayed beyond 6 months.

Penile prosthesis in priapism: a systematic review of outcomes and complications

“…The outcomes of penile prostheses implantation are summarized in Table 1 . Most of the studies describe the outcomes of an early PP implant; however, Durazi et al describe the results in a delayed approach to PP implant, and some of the papers do not specify the time when the prosthesis was implanted (early or delayed) ( 9 - 12 , 14 ). Of these selected papers, five compare the outcomes of early placement (EP) vs. delayed placement (DP) PP implants after priapism ( 8 - 11 , 26 ).…”

“…Consequently, comparing outcomes and complication rates across these studies becomes challenging due to the substantial variations in the defined timelines. According to multiple urologic guidelines, implantation is only recommended when other less invasive treatments, like phosphodiesterase inhibitors and intracavernosal injections, have proven ineffective in treating priapism ( 12 , 13 ). We herein provide a systematic review that aims to evaluate PP in the management of priapism.…”