Effects of patients’ understanding and choice of surgical types on postoperative outcomes of Peyronie's disease: a single-center retrospective study of 108 patients

Surgical correction can be considered for treating patients with a chronic phase of Peyronie's disease (PD) and persistent penile curvature. In clinical practice, some patients pay too much attention to surgical complications and refuse the recommended feasible surgical types. Meanwhile, they require operations according to their preferences. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of patients’ own choice of surgical type on postoperative satisfaction. This retrospective study analyzed data from 108 patients with PD who underwent surgical correction according to doctors’ recommendations or patients’ own demands. The objective and subjective surgical outcomes were assessed. Patients’ understanding of the disease was analyzed using a questionnaire survey. Objective measurements of surgical outcomes, including penile straightening, penile length, and sexual function, in patients who received the recommended surgery, were similar to those in patients who did not accept the recommended surgery. However, subjective evaluations, including erectile pain, discomfort because of nodules on the penis, and decreased sensitivity in the penis, were more obvious in patients who did not follow doctors’ recommendations. In addition, a questionnaire survey showed that understanding PD and the purpose of surgery of patients who did not follow doctors’ advice were inappropriate, as they did not conform to the principle of treatment. The present study showed that surgical correction seemed to be an objectively effective option in the management of patients in the stable chronic phase of PD. Low patient satisfaction might be related to patients’ lack of correct understanding of the disease and its treatment strategy as well as unrealistic expectations.