What Is Penile Fracture And How To Treat It

A rare but serious condition, the penile fracture is a medical emergency affecting the male organ penis. It is a severe type of bending injury that can occur to an erect and engorged penis.

The fracture happens when tunica albuginea, a membrane, is torn. The membrane covers a spongy tissue, called corpora cavernosa, found in the core of the penis.

During an erection, corpora cavernosa is filled with blood. It is at this stage when tunica albuginea may tear, causing blood within the membrane to leak out to other tissues. Thereafter, the patient experiences symptoms such as bruising and inflaming.

 What causes a penile fracture?

1. Accidents. Medical experts explain that a man with an erect penis can have a penile fracture when he has accidents such as falls and lands on his penis.
2. Sexual intercourse in an improper position. Medical professionals revealed that the penile fracture happens mostly during a sexual intercourse when the man tries to enter the vagina from behind or when the woman is on his top. In these two positions, the penis may twist and bend.
3. Hanging weights on the penis. One serious health risk associated with hanging weights on the penis is the organ’s tendency to get injured or penile fracture because the weights may be too much to carry. Doctors also warn that having weights on their penises can damage the organ’s ligaments, which support the structure of the penis. Moreover, if the penis is carrying more weight than it can handle, there is a huge chance that the penis may become narrower.

 What are the symptoms of penile fracture?

In addition to swelling and bruising as mentioned earlier, men who have a penile fracture may experience the following symptoms:

• Irregular shape of the penis
• Difficulty in or inability to urinate
• Extreme pain
• Inability to get an erection
• Many men with a penile fracture explained that they heard a breaking sound when the fracture occurred.

What are the available treatments for a penile fracture?

 Anybody who develops a penile fracture should seek immediate medical attention. A visit to the hospital is recommended. The medical staff will prescribe some medications for pain and anti-inflammatory for the swelling. They may also recommend putting some ice packs on the affected area.

However, all these are only for temporary relief. Doctors are likely to suggest a surgery for the permanent treatment. An incision or related treatment may be done by a competent surgeon. Of course, the patient will also be given an anesthesia before the procedure. The surgeon will try to patch up the torn tissue with a few or several stitches. Doctors say that most patients do not have to stay overnight in the hospital after the surgery. But, they are abstained from engaging in any sexual intercourses during the recovery period, which will last from four to six weeks.

Generally, the pain is extreme during the first 10 days of the recovery period.