The University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine
Introduction: Outcomes after distal shunting have low rates of success in cases of refractory ischemic priapism lasting more than 48 hours. Current American Urological Association (AUA) guidelines recommend proximal shunting following a failed distal shunt; however, proximal shunting is no longer common practice due to the technically challenging nature of the procedure.
Methods: A 43 year old African American male presented to our institutional hospital from an outside hospital for refractory ischemic priapism lasting longer than 72 hours. Corporal blood gas analysis confirmed priapism of ischemic nature, penile duplex ultrasound confirmed an absence of blood flow. The remaining lab work (CBC, urine toxicology, and Hb electrophoresis) was negative. Corporal decompression via a penoscrotal approach was then performed in hopes of preserving the patient's erectile function.
Results: Penoscrotal decompression proved to be an effective and safe way of managing refractory ischemic priapism. The technique showed to produce favorable results while maintaining adequate sexual function. Longer follow up periods and a larger patient size is needed for future evaluation.
Conclusions: Corporal decompression via a penoscrotal incision has recently emerged as a viable alternative to proximal shunting with favorable outcomes in select patients.
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