An unfortunate man had to undergo emergency surgery after fracturing his penis in two places while sleeping which left him with an ‘eggplant’ deformity.”
The unnamed 27-year-old patient, from Tunisia, reportedly rolled over onto his erect penis while sleeping, shockingly resulting in “an audible ‘snap’ sound and subsequent intense pain,” as well as flaccidity and swelling, authors wrote in a case study published in the International Surgery of Case Reports.
“Penile fractures, though rare, demand urgent surgical attention due to their potentially severe consequences,” authors wrote in the case study, which was published in the International Surgery of Case Reports.
Despite the alarming symptoms, the patient waited for 36 hours before going to a hospital.
Doctors observed significant swelling of the penis, a “deviation to the right” and a blood clot at the base.
Also present was a characteristic “eggplant deformity,” in which the penis becomes swollen and purple like an eggplant, indicating that it was fractured or broken.
While the penis is technically boneless, the word “fracture” is used to describe a tear in the tunica albuginea — the tissue that allows the penis to become enlarged and erect.
After administering general anaesthesia, surgeons “degloved” the man’s appendage, revealing that he indeed suffered two fractures, measuring 7 millimetres and 10 millimetres, respectively.
Medics say suffering more than one break is a rarity in medical science.
Medics were able to repair the man’s member without issue, after which they sutured the lacerations and discharged him from the hospital.
By the second day, the swelling had significantly reduced while he regained “full erectile function” on the fourth.
The patient thankfully suffered no long-term problems regarding urination or sexual function from the member-bending debacle.
“During a 12-month follow-up period, the patient has not reported complications,” medics wrote.
