Upsizing of inflatable penile implant cylinders in patients with corporal fibrosis.
BACKGROUND
Placement of an inflatable penile prosthesis in a patient with scarred corporal bodies secondary to priapism or removal of a previously infected implant is a formidable surgical challenge; use of downsized implants has improved chances of successful reimplantation. Nevertheless, patients are frequently dissatisfied with the resulting short penises.


OBJECTIVE
This study investigates the use of downsized inflatable penile prosthesis cylinders as tissue expanders in patients with corporal fibrosis.


METHODS
Corporal length and width were calibrated before implantation of downsized prostheses and after 1 year of their use as tissue expanders.


METHODS
Thirty-seven patients had insertion of Mentor Narrow Base (18), AMS CXM (9), or AMS CXR (10) into scarred corporal bodies. Etiology was previously infected and removed implant (29) or priapism (8). In each of these cases it was not possible to dilate to 12 mm in order to place standard-sized cylinders. Patients were encouraged to inflate their implant for up to 3 hours daily. After several months intracorporal stretching occurred. The patients were reoperated; corporal length and width were recalibrated.


RESULTS
Upon reoperation, it was possible to pass dilators of 12 mm width proximally allowing the substitution of standard-sized AMS 700 CX (23), Mentor Alpha 1 (10), or Mentor Titan (2). Additionally, corporal length measurements in the previously infected patients increased an average of 2.2 cm allowing placement of longer cylinders. Although priapism patients did not show this phenomenon of corporal lengthening, the implant space widened enough to permit replacement with standard-size cylinders improving girth, rigidity, and appearance.


CONCLUSIONS
Wider and sometimes longer cylinders can be substituted in patients with corporal fibrosis that required implantation with downsized cylinders because of fibrotic corpora. Prolonged inflation over an 8- to 12-month period results in expansion of the cylinder cavity, permitting standard-sized cylinders in all patients.
Wilson
Steven K
SK
Department of Urology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA.
Delk
John R
JR
Department of Urology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA.
Mulcahy
John J
JJ
Wishard Memorial Hospital, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
Cleves
Mario
M
Arkansas Center for Birth Defects Research and Prevention, University of Arkansas, Little Rock, AR, USA.
Salem
Emad A
EA
Department of Urology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA;. Electronic address: dr_emadsalem@yahoo.com.
D000328:Adult; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000601:surgery*; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010409:Penile Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D019935:Penile Implantation / Q000379:methods*; D015917:Penile Prosthesis / Q000009:adverse effects; D010413:Penis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D011475:Prosthesis Failure; D012086:Reoperation; D016896:Treatment Outcome