The Role of Various Comorbidities in Penile Prosthesis Removal Due to Infections

Objective: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the role of various comorbidities that lead to removal of a penile prosthesis due to infection. Methods: We reviewed the records of 50 patients who underwent malleable penile prosthesis implantation between January 2010 and May 2014. The patients were classified into 2 groups: Group 1 (n=11) contained patients whose prosthesis was removed due to infections that developed in the post-operative period; Group 2 (n=39) patients did not have any infectious complications. The 2 groups were compared regarding the presence of diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension (HT), smoking habit, atherosclerotic heart disease (ASHD), Peyronie disease, and the level of mean preoperative glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c). Results: There were no differences between the 2 groups regarding the presence of DM, HT, smoking habit, ASHD, and Peyronie disease (p>0.05). However, there was a significant difference (p=0.006) between patients whose prostheses were removed due to infection and patients who did not have any infectious complications regarding the mean preoperative HbA1c level (10.7 +/- 1.6 and 7.4 +/- 1.19, respectively). Conclusion: Having a normal HbA1c level is more important than being diabetic or not, regarding penile prosthesis removal due to postoperative infection.