Surgical management of retained needle in a transgender woman's phallus
Pan, S.; D'Amico, M.J.; Munarriz, R.
Canadian Journal of Urology 26(4): 9867-9870
2019
ISSN/ISBN: 1195-9479 PMID: 31469645 Document Number: 699058
Intracavernosal self-injection (ICI) is an effective treatment for erectile dysfunction. A rare but serious complication is needle breakage. We report an unusual case of a 51-year-old transgender female patient who did not desire gender-affirming surgery, and used ICI to treat her longstanding erectile dysfunction. She presented to the emergency department 2 months after needle breakage during ICI, and was subsequently successfully treated with intraoperative fluoroscopy and needle fragment extraction. It is important to recognize transgender patients may desire to preserve sexual function, and for providers to engage in discussion surrounding sexual health throughout treatment for gender dysphoria.