Penile Injury: Four Years’ Experience of a Single Surgeon in a Limited Resources Setting

Abstract

Background: Penile injuries (PIs) are uncommon, with the management of severe cases being difficult. This study aims to examine the  causes of PIs and present experience for their management using the limited facilities available in a hospital with low-resource settings.  

Methods: The management of PIs in a limited-resource hospital in eastern Sudan was recorded over four years. Records of 32 cases of  emergency penile surgical conditions between January 2016 and March 2020 were retrospectively reviewed, and 17 cases of significant PI  were included in the study and divided into pediatric and adult groups with further subdivision of each group according to the nature of  the injury.

Results: Seventeen patients with PIs were treated during the study period. The pediatric group (n = 4) were victims of  traditional circumcision; two of them presented with glans penis (GP) amputation, one with gangrenous GP, and one with mild GP injury.  The patients in the adult group were divided into three subgroups; the first group had penile fractures (n = 8), the second group had  degloving PIs (n = 2), and the third group had penile amputation injuries (n = 3). Management included various surgical techniques  tailored to the individual patients. The outcome of the intervention was presented on a case-by-case basis.

Conclusion: Severe PIs should  be managed using a case-by-case approach. To enhance the effectiveness of surgical interventions, the field of reconstructive  penile surgery must be established and developed. Community orientation and work safety measures should be implemented to avoid  PIs that may result from traditional circumcision and machinery trauma.