A comparison of dermal and cadaveric pericardial, grafts in the modified Horton-Devine procedure for Peyronie's disease

Purpose: Penile curvature due to Peyronie's disease is often treated with p laque incision or excision and grafting. The advantages of various graft ma terials have long been debated. We studied the outcomes of dermal and cadav eric pericardial grafts after plaque incision or excision for Peyronie's di sease. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively evaluated all modified Horton-Dev ine procedures performed between February 1998 and April 2000. Dermal graft harvested from the lower abdomen or commercially available cadaveric peric ardium was used to cover the corporeal defect. A followup telephone questio nnaire was administered to determine patient satisfaction and function. Results: We reviewed the records of 27 men, including 18 and 9 who received a dermal and pericardial graft, respectively. We successfully contacted 24 patients, including 15 with a dermal and 9 with a pericardial graft, to ev aluate satisfaction. Average postoperative followup was 10 months. Of the 2 4 patients, 22 reported successful coitus and 15 (63%) needed assistance to achieve erection rigid enough for satisfactory coitus. Eight patients repo rted recurrent curvature, which was minimal and did not hamper sexual funct ion. Overall 11 of the 15 patients with a dermal and 8 of the 9 with a peri cardial graft would undergo the surgery again or recommend it to others. Conclusions: The results of the dermal and cadaveric pericardial grafts wer e comparable. The minimal preoperative preparation, decreased patient morbi dity and pliability of cadaveric pericardium make it an attractive suitable graft substitute in the modified Horton-Devine procedure. Longer followup and larger patient series are needed to confirm the advantages of cadaveric pericardium.