title: Severe penile injuries: a problem of severity and reconstruction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report our experience of treating severe penile injuries with different causes and treatments, as penile trauma presents a difficult physical and psychological problem, and the type and extent of injury varies from mild to severe, sometimes even with total amputation.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analysed retrospectively 43 patients (mean age 28 years, range 5-52 years) with severe penile injuries referred to us from March 1999 to August 2007. The causes of penile injuries differed, including iatrogenic trauma (20), traffic accidents (11), burns (three), self-amputation (two), ritual circumcision (two), penile fracture (two), gunshot trauma (two) and electrocution (one). The management required a wide variety of surgical techniques tailored to each patient depending on the type and extent of injury.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean (range) follow-up was 47 (10-108) months. The aesthetic and functional results, including satisfactory sexual intercourse were good in 35 patients. There were complications in seven patients; infection after implanting an inflatable penile prosthesis in one, protrusion of a semirigid prosthesis in one, urethral complications (one stenosis and two fistulae) in three and partial skin flap necrosis in two.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Severe penile injuries should be treated on an individual basis, applying different techniques. However, treatment can be effective and safe only in specialized centres.
authors.affiliation: Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, School of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia. perovics@eunet.yu
authors.forename: Sava V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Perovic
authors.forename: Rados P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Djinovic
authors.forename: Marko Z
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Bumbasirevic
authors.forename: Richard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Santucci
authors.forename: Miroslav L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Djordjevic
authors.forename: Dmitry
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kourbatov
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010409:Penile Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D015917:Penile Prosthesis; D010413:Penis / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery*; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D013521:Urologic Surgical Procedures, Male / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D055815:Young Adult