Options and honest, caring conversations guide Dennis to successful Peyronie’s disease treatment

Dennis Wallace noticed a curve in his penis in 2018. The change wasn’t painful, but eventually it made intimacy with his wife difficult.

Dennis, 58, of Dubuque, Iowa, visited a local urologist who diagnosed him with Peyronie’s disease, a condition in which scar tissue under the skin of the penis causes the shaft to curve when erect.

After a year of treatment, Dennis’s condition didn’t improve. The curvature had increased, and his urologist didn’t have any other options to help him.

Dennis asked to be referred to male sexual dysfunction services at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, where Urology Clinic specialists helped him consider all of the options and find a treatment that worked best for him.

Six months later, after just one round of treatment, the curvature in Dennis's penis had decreased measurably.

The urologist talked to me and explained things in terms I understood,” Dennis says. “I knew I was going to have the best of the best.”

Finding the best Peyronie’s care

Even before Dennis was diagnosed with Peyronie’s disease, he tried to find answers about his condition online. He wasn’t the only one looking. He connected with people from all over the world through social media.

He discovered that many men were feeling anxious about their condition but were also reluctant to seek treatment. And those who did seek treatment had difficulty finding doctors who could provide clear information about the treatments available. Doctors who actually offered multiple treatment options were even more scarce.

After being diagnosed by his local urologist, Dennis followed the doctor’s standard treatment—prescription medication, vitamin supplements, and stretching exercises—for almost a year. The approach wasn’t effective, and the curvature progressed to 45 degrees.

That’s when he asked for the referral to the Urology Clinic, where Dennis received a full range of options—including surgical procedures and injections—along with the of each approach and the kind of results he could expect.

Dennis chose injections of Xiaflex, a medication that breaks down the scar tissue that causes the penis to curve. The results of his first round of treatment showed a decrease in curvature of 10 degrees.

A plan for Peyronie’s and for better overall health

Dennis’ experience demonstrates how important it is to get care from a team that specializes in the condition. A man who is struggling to figure out what to do about Peyronie’s needs to have a frank discussion with a doctor who can answer all of his questions and help him make an informed choice.

Patient-focused care gave Dennis the opportunity to discuss his other health concerns which led to referrals to see other specialists for those issues. Now Dennis has a plan for his whole health, beyond his success with Peyronie’s treatment.

“Everything about my health is going in the right direction,” Dennis says. “If I hadn’t gone to UI Health Care , I wouldn’t be this happy.”