A bent penis can often be corrected, but the right approach depends on what’s causing the curvature, how severe it is, and whether it’s still changing. Most penile curvature in adults is caused by Peyronie’s disease, a condition where scar tissue (called plaque) forms inside the penis and pulls it to one side. Treatments range from injections and traction devices to surgery, with success rates above 85% for surgical options.
What Causes the Bend
The penis has a tough, flexible sheath called the tunica albuginea that surrounds the erectile tissue. In Peyronie’s disease, small injuries during sex or physical activity tear the inner layers of this sheath. The body’s repair process goes into overdrive: inflammatory cells flood the injury site, and specialized cells called myofibroblasts start producing excess collagen. Instead of healing cleanly, the tissue forms a dense, fibrous plaque that doesn’t stretch the way healthy tissue does. When you get an erection, the plaque acts like a taut seam on one side, pulling the penis into a curve.
This process becomes more common with age, particularly between 45 and 70. In younger men, a curved penis is more likely congenital, meaning it developed before birth and has always been present to some degree.
Active Phase vs. Stable Phase
Peyronie’s disease has two distinct stages, and knowing which one you’re in determines what treatments are appropriate. During the active (inflammatory) phase, the curvature is still changing. You may notice the bend getting worse over weeks or months, and erections can be painful. This phase typically lasts 12 to 18 months.
Once the curvature has remained the same for three to six months, you’ve likely entered the stable phase. The plaque has hardened and the inflammation has settled. Surgery is only considered during this stable phase. Intervening surgically while the disease is still active risks recurrence or worsening, which is why urologists require at least 12 months of symptoms and documented stability before operating.
Injection Therapy
The only FDA-approved injection for Peyronie’s disease uses an enzyme that breaks down collagen in the plaque. Treatment follows a specific cycle: two injections spaced one to three days apart, followed by a manual modeling procedure at the clinic where the doctor gently stretches the penis in the opposite direction of the curve. This cycle repeats every six weeks, up to four times total (eight injections maximum).
In clinical trials, patients treated with these injections saw an average 33% reduction in curvature. That’s meaningful for many men, though it rarely produces a completely straight result on its own. The injections work best for moderate curvatures and are often combined with traction therapy or home modeling between cycles.
Traction Devices
Penile traction devices apply a gentle, sustained stretch to the penis over several hours a day. The goal is to remodel the plaque and counteract shortening, which is a common concern with Peyronie’s disease. Research shows that using traction for at least three hours daily can produce a small but noticeable gain in stretched penile length, about 4.4 mm compared to 1.3 mm without traction.
The evidence for traction improving curvature on its own is less convincing. Studies using traction alongside injection therapy found no significant difference in curvature correction between men who used traction and those who didn’t. Where traction does seem to help is in preserving or recovering penile length, which makes it a useful add-on to other treatments rather than a standalone fix.
Do Oral Supplements Work?
You’ll find recommendations online for vitamin E, various supplements, and oral medications for Peyronie’s disease. The American Urological Association’s clinical guidelines do not support oral therapies as effective treatments. No pill has been shown to reliably reduce curvature or dissolve plaque. If your curvature is mild and not progressing, a urologist may suggest monitoring it rather than jumping to treatment, but oral supplements are unlikely to fix anything.
Surgery for Moderate Curvature
For curves that cause functional problems during sex, surgery offers the most reliable correction. The most common approach for moderate curvature (under 60 degrees) is plication, where a surgeon places stitches on the longer side of the penis to even out the difference created by the plaque. Think of it like taking in a seam on one side of a shirt to straighten it.
Plication achieves complete straightening in about 88 to 90% of patients. The trade-off is some degree of penile shortening, since the procedure works by shortening the longer side to match the shorter, scarred side. Men with congenital curvature tend to experience less shortening and fewer erectile problems after plication than men with Peyronie’s disease.
Surgery for Severe Curvature
When curvature exceeds 60 degrees, or when the penis has an hourglass deformity or is already short, grafting is the preferred surgical option. In this procedure, the surgeon cuts into or partially removes the plaque, then patches the gap with graft tissue. This preserves more length than plication because it expands the shorter side rather than shortening the longer one.
Grafting is a more complex surgery with a higher risk profile. The chance of developing new erectile difficulties afterward varies widely across studies, ranging from 4% to as high as 32% depending on the technique and patient population. Because of this risk, grafting is only recommended for men who have solid erections before surgery (rated 3 or higher on a 4-point hardness scale). Men who already have erectile problems are typically steered toward a penile implant instead.
Penile Implants for Curvature With Erectile Dysfunction
When Peyronie’s disease occurs alongside significant erectile dysfunction, an inflatable penile implant can solve both problems at once. The implant itself often straightens the penis: in one study, 91% of men with an average curvature of 49 degrees were corrected to under 10 degrees just by placing the device. Another study found that 61% of men achieved the same result with implant placement alone.
For the roughly 30% of implant patients who have residual curvature above 10 to 20 degrees, manual modeling during or after surgery can finish the job. One protocol that included home modeling after the procedure brought 95% of patients to under 10 degrees of curvature within six months. The combination of implant plus modeling is one of the most effective overall strategies, particularly for men over 60 dealing with both curvature and erection loss.
What to Expect From Treatment Overall
No treatment guarantees a perfectly straight penis, but most men achieve a functional improvement that allows comfortable sex. The path typically looks like this: if you notice a new curve developing, see a urologist to confirm the diagnosis and determine your phase. During the active phase, treatment focuses on managing pain and possibly starting traction to limit shortening. Once stable, your doctor will recommend injections, surgery, or both based on the severity of your curve, your erectile function, and your goals.
Recovery from plication surgery is relatively quick, with most men resuming sexual activity within six to eight weeks. Grafting procedures require longer healing, and there’s a period of adjustment as sensation and erectile function stabilize. Implant surgery similarly involves several weeks of recovery before the device is activated.
Congenital curvature follows a simpler treatment path. Because there’s no plaque or active disease process, plication alone corrects the curve with lower complication rates and less shortening than in Peyronie’s patients. Men with congenital curvature can pursue correction at any age once the bend becomes bothersome.