Treatment of impotence due to venous leakage by resection of the deep dorsal vein of the penis.

Ligation and resection of the deep dorsal vein of the penis is a surgical approach to restore potency in venogenic impotence. Between December 1989 and December 1990, we treated 25 men with venogenic impotence by this technique. Additionally, the Nesbit operation was performed in 3 cases due to penile curvature and in 1 case a penile plaque was excised. The patients were asked to come for control 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after surgery. In 14 patients the rigidity and duration of erections were improved 3 months after surgery but, in 21 of the 25 men, erectile dysfunction recurred 6-15 months (average 9.4 months) following surgery and penile prostheses were implanted in 7 cases. The complications were orchiepididymitis in 1 case, penile edema and hyperemia which lasted for 1 week in 1 patient and numbness near the incision site in 10 cases. We conclude that, in patients who had erectile impotence due to venous leakage, resection of the deep dorsal vein of the penis could provide a transient satisfactory result, but should not be considered as a long-term treatment modality.