Evaluation of collagen membrane grafting in managing Peyronie's disease and penile curvature: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND

Peyronie's disease (PD), also known as penile fibromatosis, predominantly impacts middle-aged males between the ages of 55 and 65 years, with an incidence of from 3.2% to 8.9%. This exploratory study evaluated short-term outcomes following surgical correction using collagen membrane transplantation in a small cohort of patients. We selected a bovine collagen membrane for its 'off-the-shelf' availability and guided tissue regeneration (GTR) properties to avoid donor-site morbidity. The GTR membrane acts as a barrier, mechanically preventing the rapid ingrowth of fibroblasts from the surrounding tissue, thereby favoring organized tunical repair. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and short-term outcomes of surgical correction using a bovine collagen membrane (BME-10X) for tunical repair in patients with PD.

METHODS

Twenty patients (mean age 55 years, range 42-66 years) diagnosed with PD underwent collagen membrane grafting. Outcomes were assessed preoperatively and at a 6-month postoperative follow-up using the International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5), Rigiscan monitoring (mean glanular erection rigidity), Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), and Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS).

RESULTS

In this initial short-term evaluation of 20 patients, collagen membrane grafting suggested feasibility and was associated with improvements in penile deformity, IIEF-5 scores, glanular rigidity, SAS, and SDS scores compared to baseline. Key limitations include the small sample size (n=20) and short follow-up period (6 months), which preclude definitive conclusions regarding long-term efficacy, durability, recurrence risk, and broader applicability.

CONCLUSIONS

This preliminary study suggests that collagen membrane transplantation may offer a potential surgical approach for the short-term management of penile curvature in PD, with associated improvements in erectile function and patient-reported anxiety and depression symptoms in this small cohort. However, these initial findings require rigorous validation in larger, long-term studies to confirm efficacy, safety profile, and sustained benefit.