Early versus late penile prosthesis surgery: a cross-sectional real-life study unveiling predictive factors

Penile prosthesis implantation (PP surgery) is a well-established solution for severe, medication-refractory erectile dysfunction (ED). Despite its effectiveness, limited data exists on patient characteristics influencing the timing of PP surgery after ED onset. We aimed to investigate predictors for early PP surgery and compare preoperative factors in men who had early (<12 months) vs. late PP surgery (≥12 months). We analyzed data from 210 men undergoing inflatable PP surgery for medication-refractory ED to investigate predictors for early PP surgery. Men with early PP surgery were older (64 vs. 61 years), had more comorbidities, (97.2% vs. 63.3% CCI ≥ 1). Linear regression analysis showed that more comorbidities were associated with an earlier time to PP surgery (Coeff: −1.82, 95% CI: −3.08 to −0.56, p = 0.004). At multivariate Cox regression analysis, CCI ≥ 1 emerged as the sole predictor of early PP surgery (OR: 1.29, 95% CI: 1.07–1.56, p = 0.007) after adjusting for age, ED etiology, and ethnicity. Our study sheds light on factors influencing decisions for early vs. late PP surgery post-medication-refractory ED. Men with more comorbidities were more likely to receive early PP surgery, emphasizing the importance of preoperative counseling and personalized treatment plans.