plication experience - feedback after surgery

[Jacpaf]

Something went wrong with my first try... here is my post...

I would expect this post to be the end of a 3 years journey, and I'm happy to share my experience.
   I'm now 54 and all started in june 2017 with a penis fracture during intercourse making you immediately wonder if this very brief moment will trigger any consequence... Well, it did: the first symptoms appeared in September with a curvature growing from 10 to 90 degrees in 3 months.  I was lucky enough to share all those hard times with my wife, who has been supportive since  day one and has taken the case with all the love she could demonstrate.
I started consulting in March 2018 after quite some time reading, scrolling forums and trying to find the best specialists, accepted by my insurance, within a reasonable distance. I ended up with Dr Kashanian, Weil Cornell in NYC.
The first visit was informative about the various treatments, chances of healing and improvement over time. VERAPAMIL was offered as the first option. I had read that the results were poor and was looking for starting with XIAFLEX: as the cost for VERAPAMIL was low, I was directed by the insurance to start with it, keeping XIAFLEX as a plan B in case nothing improved. I lost 6 months going through 12 injections of verapamil for zero result.
4 months later (jan 2019) I finally started the XIAFLEX treatment, full of hope that the results would be as promising as what I had read all around... After 4 cycles of 2 shots each (4 days apart, then 4 weeks apart), the end result was rather poor: I had regain 10 degrees, being now close to 75 (doc reading... my reading was closer to 80).
I must admit that sex was possible, reducing however significantly the number of variants (to one..) and in the end was clearly not safisfactory. I could not come up to the conclusion that it was the end of it and that I had to spend the rest of my life remembering how good sex used to be... Surgery ended up becoming the only mandatory option.
The discussion with the doc was interesting: like most of us I was clearly concerned by any length reduction caused by the various plication procedures and was rather envisioning grafting. I was strongly discouraged to go this route, despite having no ED issue currently, due to the potential risk of future ED. I was told that the plication being a simple procedure, not very invasive, chances of issues were very limited and the recovering was quite fast.
The doc confirmed also that the length of the penis after plication would be no shorter than the current length of the shorter side before the procedure (top side in my case). I decided to trust him and made the decision to proceed after 2 months of thoughts, readings and second thoughts...
After that decision was made (end of January 2020), everything went pretty fast: pre op visit Feb 4, procedure Feb 19.
The procedure was performed at NY presbyterian by Dr Kashanian. I was there at 6:30 AM, in private room at 7:00, in OP room at 7:30, out in my room again at 9:00. I left the hospital at 11:00 and was home for lunch.
The most interesting thing is that I had almost no pain: being now 4 days after the procedure, I did not use the opiods I was given. Night erections are a bit painful but nothing unbearable.
I must admit that the painful night erections are even "wonderful": for the first time after almost 3 years, I now have a staight penis (full of colored bruises and a bit swollen as expected but as straight as a capital I..!).
As far as the procedure itself, the outer skin was set aside by opening the underside. A strong erection was generated and 4 stitches were placed in a 2x2 pattern on the underside of the penis. The outer skin was closed on the "natural seam". All that ends up totally invisible from the outside and I cannot feel the stitches.
The first short conclusion of my journey is that I have probably lost 2 years with supposedly promising treatments that were not efficient (at least not for me of course...). I had sometimes the impression to be a pawn in the pharma business, with everyone knowing that the treatments are not really efficient but no one having any interest in not performing them. This was even more obvious when realizing that the price of the plication was a fraction of the XIAFLEX treatment.
I now can't wait to be 4 weeks down the road, to really try my new-old myself and hopefully enjoy life and sex as much as everyone should.
It might be a bit too early to get to formal conclusions but if I had to pass one message it would be: skip the treatments and go to a simple procedure such as plication. The shortening concern is a male thing that women are not really paying attention to... especially if you are in a long lasting relationship with someone who really cares about her/his loved one.
I'm not often on the forum but after reviewing dozens of testimonials in the last 2 years, I had to give the community something back.
Take care.

[TonySa]

Congrats and please keep us posted during your recovery!

[Benjamin62]

Great to hear!
I had Plication on Feb 20th!
First realized the issue a year before... tried traction and pills and quickly researched surgeons.
Talked to three of the top in the country... and settled on one.  Even tho it was a plane flight and could have been handled in Boston... I chose to travel... to the guy I liked.

Results:
Super quick fairly painless surgery
Still healing obviously... similar to you.

Thoughts:
Get whatever mental help you need to get thru the active phase
Don't panic!  If can be fixed!!!

All I could think about post op was how grateful I was!

Info:
Dr Brian Christine, Birmingham AL
Repair 90 degree downturn with modified 16 dot Plication
Grafting to augment mild hourglassing
Surgery date 2-20-2020

[TonySa]

Any chance you'd fill in your dig line w doc, procedure and outcome?