The Effect of Spinal Anaesthesia on Penile Tumescence

Abstract

It is a common observation that following spinal anaesthesia, the penis usually elongates. The aim of this study was to determine the degree of change in penile length following spinal anaesthesia. Consecutive urosurgical patients undergoing spinal anaesthesia were recruited for this study. Those who received general anaesthesia or incomplete spinal blocked were also excluded. The flaccid length of the penis was measured before and after the administration of spinal anaesthesia. Penile length 15 minutes post-spinal anaesthesia was measured and recorded. The change in length was tested for statistical significant difference, the age of patient; diagnosis and type of surgery were also recorded. Forty three patients completed the study. Benign prostatic hypertrophy constituted 41.9% of the surgical indications. While 53.5% of the patients were ASA I, 39.5% and 7.0% of them were ASA II and III respectively. While the mean initial penile length was 12.1 ± 0.53 cm and the mean final length was 15.7 ± 0.53 cm, the mean maximal change in penile length was 3.6±1.5 cm; p<0.0001. There was no statistical correlation between age and mean differential change in length of penis (r=-0.2842, p=0.43). It was therefore concluded that there was a significant change in penile length (tumescence) following successful spinal anaesthesia.

Reawakened Sexual Interest: The Result of Surgical Correction of Concealed Penis

“…The combined spinal technique (that is epidural and subarachnoid space block anesthesia) was chosen to confer the advantages of adequate surgical anesthesia/analgesia and safety for the obese in resource limited setting. The tumescence caused by the spinal anaesthesia [15] helped in ensuring that an appropriate size of skin graft was used to cover the penis compare with that which would have been used if the penis were in its flaccid state which would obviously restrict the penis during erection. The pathophysiology of concealed penis is still not clear but many theories regarding the cause have been proposed by many investigators, but currently it is proposed to be due to a failure of separation of the planes of migration in the developing male external genitalia, and this causes a persistence of adhesions between the planes [16].…”

The Effect of Spinal Anesthesia on Penile Length and Erectile Function in Patients Underwent Endoscopic Urological Surgeries: A Double-Blinded Randomized Clinical Trial

“…However, a study conducted by Fyneface-ogan et al reported that there was a significant change in penile length following SA. One possible explanation is that SA impairs the sympathetic and parasympathetic innervation of the penis, leading to penile enlargement or even penile erection (14).…”

“…Priapism is a relatively rare phenomenon that may occur as a result of an imbalance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. This phenomenon can bring significant troubles, such as excessive bleeding, for surgeons and other medical teams during surgeries (14,15).…”