Penis sunk can be a rare external genital birth defect or an acquired condition. The inserted penis is properly developed but hidden in the fatty tissue around the symphysis pubis. The sunken penis is so small that it sometimes resembles female genitalia from the outside. The most common solution is surgery. Find out what the penile socket surgery is about.

Embedded penis , also known as a covered or hidden penis, may be a rare congenital abnormality of the external genitalia or an acquired condition. The plunged penis is a normally developed penis, only hidden in the abundant fatty pad around the pubic symphysis. While viewing the penis, its outline is not found (the tip of the penis is almost invisible above the skin of the scrotum or pubic area), but palpation shows a normally developed shaft and an age-appropriate glans.

Penis plunging - causes

In young boys the penis has a congenital defect (the ligaments that attach the penis to the underlying structures are weaker than they should be). However, it can also appear in adults as a result of:

  • obesity
  • circumcision
  • balanitis xerotica obliterans - BXO - sclerotic-atrophic lesions on the glans
  • Lymphedema - Swelling around the scrotum area caused by a build-up of lymph fluid may cause the penis to become tucked inside the tissue.
Important

Penis submerged favors infection

Pain and difficulties in urinating appear with the plunged penis. Boys and men may not be able to urinate while standing or even sitting. Under the hidden penis, moisture begins to accumulate, which promotes infections and tissue maceration. Adult men complain of painful erections or a lack of erections.

Penis embedded - diagnosis

The penis is palpable when you touch it. Its presence and shape are confirmed by ultrasound.

Penis plunging - treatment. Penile plunger surgery

In infants and children, this condition sometimes resolves on its own. In other cases, an operation is required.

Penile plunger surgery involves releasepenis and moving it above the surface of the skin. The main assumptions of the operation are the release and excision of the abnormal deep fascia attachments, plasty of the abdominal surface of the penis and frenulum of the foreskin, and the removal of excess fat from the pubic area.

If a patient develops an infection, it must be treated before surgery.

Obese patients are usually encouraged to lose weight before surgery. Although weight loss by itself does not solve the problem, it can cause serious complications during and after surgery.

Some patients may need psychological support. Mental he alth professionals can address issues such as depression, sexual dysfunction, and low self-esteem, which often occur in men with penile dimples.

In some adult patients it may be necessary to implant a hydraulic penis implant as a follow-up treatment.

Penis plunging - complications

Complications may occur in the postoperative period - from surgical infections to the development of pulmonary embolism. The risk of complications is increased in obese and diabetic patients.

According to an expertDr. Stefan W. Czarniecki, urologist, HIFU CLINIC - Medicover Hospital

Penis submerged, especially surviving from childhood or acquired in adulthood, is a big challenge, both for the patient and the urologist caring for him. This disease causes significant mental suffering for the patient, and its effective treatment is not easy. Obese patients are particularly affected by the penis, who are often refused to perform the emergence and fixation of the penis until a significant loss of body weight, which is often not an easy task. The surgical treatment consists in penile skin denudation (sliding the skin of the penis down to its base) and fixation (sewing with non-absorbable sutures) of its base. The procedure in obese patients is often accompanied by lipectomy or liposuction of the pre-pubis (removal of excess fat tissue) and reduction arthroplasty (excision of excess scrotal skin).

There are no reliable data available on the incidence of penis in the adult male population, neither in Poland nor in the world. However, it is estimated that significantly more people suffer from it than are treated. This is because awareness of the correct diagnosis and treatment options is very low. As obesity increases, the prevalence of a plunged penis is inevitable. The symptoms that patients suffer from are serious: complete inability to visualize the penis and to have intercourse, deepsexual dysfunction in the form of erectile dysfunction, soreness of the erect penis. Basic personal hygiene is also a problem. Especially in the presence of diabetes mellitus, tissue healing after surgical intervention is associated with a high probability of infectious complications.

The prevalence of a penile in the adult male population in Poland is certainly underestimated, which is why it is so important to work to raise awareness about this disease and its treatment options.

The course of the plunged penis release surgery. [WARNING! DRASTIC PHOTOS]

Source: .youtube.com / Trauma and Urologic Reconstruction Network of Surgeons (TURNS)

Bibliography:

1. Treatment of Adult-Acquired Buried Penis, https://www.intechopen.com/books/skin-grafts-indications-applications-and-current-research/treatment-of-adult-acquired-buried-penis

2. Buried Penis in Children, http://www.aboutkidshe alth.ca/En/He althAZ/ConditionsandDiseases/GenitalandReproductiveDisorders/Pages/Buried-penis-children.aspx

3. Buried Penis, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/he alth/articles/buried-penis

Category:

Male diseases