Urology of Greater Atlanta

​​Penile Chordee

What Is Penile Chordee?

Chordee is a condition that is evident by penile curvature. In most cases, the penis curves downward. Usually, patients are born with it, but it can also develop through other penis surgeries such as circumcision.

Hypospadias and chordee are usually seen together when the condition develops at birth. Hypospadias is when the urinary opening is found on the underside of the penis. The expert surgeons at UGATL, GA, can correct penile chordee.

What Causes Penile Chordee?

The exact reason why chordee occurs is not known. The condition develops as a boy grows in the womb. It is thought that more elastic tissue forms on the top half of the penis than on the bottom half. As the skin is less elastic on the underside of the penis, it will have a downward curve during an erection.

Other possible developmental problems that could result in chordee include:

  • Skin tethering or tightness.
  • Development of scar tissue in or around the urethra or urinary tube

Chordee hypospadias often develops at the same time. This is when the opening of the urethra is found on the underside of the penis rather than the tip of the penis.

Even if the curvature of the penis is not caused through development, the term chordee may be used. This is because other forms of chordee can develop after surgery on the penis, including circumcision. In addition, tight skin can curve the head of the penis either upward or downward.

How Do I Know If I Have Chordee?

When boys or men have no hypospadias, chordee may be challenging to detect without an erection and therefore go undetected until adolescence years or adulthood.

If hypospadias is present, it is usually noticed as men or boys, and thus they will have difficulty aiming their urine stream.

There may also be some penile torsion. This can be detected by looking at the midline raphe. Instead of running straight along the shaft, it will circle around the penis tissue.

Chordee can affect sexual function, either causing pain or discomfort during intercourse. It may also affect the quality of the erection in some.

Is Chordee Surgery Necessary?

Chordee correction can only be done through surgery. Chordee repair, for those who have developed it at birth, is best performed before age 2. The surgery will straighten the penis.

The procedure can be done as an outpatient surgery. The doctor may ask that the child use a catheter for the first week after surgery.

Chordee repair has very high success rates in childhood. However, surgery in adult men can also be very effective if it is not detected while young.

To correct hypospadias, additional techniques are used to bring the urethral opening to the tip of the penis.

Our Team Of Urologists Can Help

If chordee has developed because of a previous circumcision, the team at Urology of Greater Atlanta can perform a circumcision revision.

Apart from penile chordee, our doctors also correct the following concerns:

  • A buried penis where there was too much or too little foreskin removed
  • A thickening of the foreskin (skin bridge)
  • A narrowing of the opening at the end of the penis (meatal stenosis)

Call our office or book online to speak with our urologists. Our urologist team offers expert patient care and operates out of seven offices and a surgical center to serve the needs of all Northern Georgia residents, including Griffin, GA.

Stockbridge, North Park Trail

2180 North Park Trl, Ste 100 Stockbridge, GA 30281

Blue Ridge, Blue Ridge Drive

4799 Blue Ridge Drive Suite 107, Blue Ridge, GA 30513

Sandy Springs

1100 Lake Hearn Drive NE STE 320
Atlanta, GA 30342

Griffin, South 9th Street

685 South 9th Street
Griffin, GA 30224

Covington

4143 Hospital Drive NE Covington, GA 30014

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