Usefulness of a malleable penile prosthesis in patients with a spinal cord injury.
OBJECTIVE
The usefulness of a malleable penile prosthesis was evaluated in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) by investigating the complications and the patients' satisfaction.


METHODS
A total of 48 patients with a SCI, who underwent malleable penile prosthesis (AMS 600) insertion from 1990 to 2004 were evaluated by reviewing the patients' medical records and interviewing them via questionnaires. The mean patients age was 58.9 years, and the mean follow-up period was 11.7 years. In 23 patients, penile prosthesis implantation was carried out to improve urinary management and to treat erectile dysfunction (ED).


RESULTS
Complications occurred in eight patients (16.7%). Wound infections in four (8.3%). Two patients were treated with conservative management, and two were managed through prostheses removal. Other complications were erosion in two patients (4.2%), uncontrolled penile pain owing to excessive prosthesis length in one patient (2.1%), and supersonic transporter (SST) deformity in one patient (2.1%). The overall patient satisfaction rate was 79.2%. The dissatisfaction was mainly due to the complications that resulted in the removal of the prosthesis, or partner's unnatural sensation. All of the prostheses that were implanted in the patients for the improvement of their urinary management gave them the benefit of convenient urinary management, except for two patients, whose prostheses were removed.


CONCLUSIONS
The insertion of malleable penile prostheses in patients with SCI is associated with low complication rates and good patient satisfaction. It is therefore still an attractive option.
Kim
Young Dong
YD
Department of Urology, Seoul Veterans Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
Yang
Seung Ok
SO
Lee
Jeong Ki
JK
Jung
Tae Young
TY
Shim
Hong Bang
HB
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D015917:Penile Prosthesis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000150:complications*