Peyronie's Disease Specialist

What is Peyronie’s disease?

Peyronie’s disease is a condition that causes the penis to curve or bend. This curvature can result in painful erections and make it difficult or even impossible to have sex.

Peyronie’s disease occurs when scar tissue - known as plaque - develops inside your penis. The plaque buildup commonly affects the top or bottom of your penis, causing scarring of an elastic membrane called the tunica albuginea. The scarring develops because of inflammation or swelling in your penis, which could be due to a traumatic injury, although the cause isn’t always clear.

As the plaque builds up, it tightens one side of your penis, causing it to bend. When your penis fills with blood to form an erection, it pulls painfully against the plaque. Some men have Peyronie’s disease without experiencing pain or problems having sex. Many, however, suffer painful erections and other issues like erectile dysfunction.

How is Peyronie’s disease treated?

The treatment recommended by the Center for Female and Male Sexual Medicine for Peyronie’s disease depends on how severely it affects you.

Surgery

If you have chronic Peyronie’s disease and other approaches aren’t working, you might need to consider surgery to correct the curvature in your penis. Most men don’t require surgery for Peyronie’s disease, as there are effective non-surgical treatments available.

Medication

While oral medications are available for Peyronie’s disease, there’s little evidence to show they’re effective. 

Traction therapy

During traction therapy, you wear a medical device on your penis that helps to straighten it.

Intralesional therapy

Intralesional therapy consists of a medication your provider injects directly into the plaque that helps prevent scar tissue from developing. Medications, including verapamil and interferon, can be effective in stabilizing existing scarring and increasing blood flow, and in some cases reducing the curvature of the penis.

These medications don’t have FDA approval, however. The Center for Female and Male Sexual Medicine uses Xiaflex to treat men with Peyronie’s disease, which is FDA approved.

What is Xiaflex?

Xiaflex is an injectable medication that weakens and breaks down scar tissue, which helps to straighten your penis. It’s a biologic medicine made from an organism called collagenase clostridium histolyticum. This organism can break down the collagen that forms plaque.

If you have scarring that you can feel and a curve in your penis of more than 30 degrees, you might be a suitable candidate for Xiaflex. A typical course of treatment consists of up to four cycles of two Xiaflex injections and a penile modeling procedure.

Research into Xiaflex shows it can result in a significant improvement in men with Peyronie’s disease. However, there is a risk of serious side effects, so it’s only available from health care professionals who have certification to prove they’ve undergone specialist training on the use of Xiaflex, like those at the Center for Female and Male Sexual Medicine.

To find relief from the symptoms of Peyronie’s disease, call the Center for Female and Male Sexual Medicine today, or book an appointment online.