Peyronie’s disease is not curable in the traditional sense, but it is highly treatable. Only about 12% of cases resolve on their own, and most men see either no change or worsening without intervention. The good news: a combination of non-surgical and surgical options can significantly reduce curvature, relieve pain, and restore sexual function for the majority of men who pursue treatment.
How well treatment works depends largely on what phase the disease is in and how severe the curvature has become. Understanding that distinction is the first step toward knowing what realistic outcomes look like.
The Two Phases of the Disease
Peyronie’s disease progresses through two distinct stages, and treatment options differ depending on which one you’re in.
The active (or acute) phase involves ongoing inflammation. During this period, the scar tissue (plaque) is still forming, curvature may be changing, and pain during erections is common. This phase typically lasts 6 to 18 months. Because things are still in flux, surgery is not recommended during this window. Treatment focuses on managing pain and trying to slow or limit plaque development.
The stable (or chronic) phase begins once the curvature has stopped changing, usually for at least three months. Pain often fades on its own by this point. This is when more definitive treatments, including surgery and injectable therapies, become appropriate. The American Urological Association specifically recommends that surgical candidates be assessed based on the presence of stable disease.
What Happens Without Treatment
Earlier research from the 1970s suggested that most men would see their condition resolve spontaneously. That finding has since been thoroughly contradicted. Modern studies consistently show a spontaneous resolution rate of roughly 12%, with the majority of untreated men experiencing either no improvement or progressive worsening.
The psychological toll of leaving the condition unaddressed is substantial. About 48% of men with Peyronie’s disease meet criteria for depression, with roughly equal numbers falling into moderate and severe categories. Over 80% report emotional distress related to the condition, and more than half say it has negatively affected their relationship. These numbers highlight why early, proactive treatment matters beyond just the physical symptoms.
Non-Surgical Treatments During the Active Phase
During the active phase, the goal is pain relief and limiting disease progression rather than correcting curvature. The AUA supports offering oral anti-inflammatory medications for pain management during this period.
Several oral therapies have been studied, including antioxidant combinations and medications that target scar tissue formation. One controlled study found that a multi-drug oral and injectable regimen reduced plaque volume by nearly 47% and curvature by about 10 degrees over six months, while resolving pain in roughly two-thirds of patients. These results are promising but still require confirmation in larger trials.
Shockwave therapy is another option sometimes offered during the active phase. A meta-analysis found that it significantly reduces plaque size and relieves pain, but it does not improve penile curvature or sexual function. So it can be a useful tool for symptom management, but it won’t straighten things out.
Penile Traction Devices
Traction therapy involves wearing a stretching device for several hours daily over a period of months. Multiple studies show it can reduce curvature by 10 to 26 degrees and preserve or even increase penile length, which is particularly valuable since many treatments (including surgery) carry a risk of shortening. Men who used traction for three or more hours per day saw significantly greater length gains compared to those who used it less. Protocols in clinical studies typically range from 2 to 9 hours daily for 3 to 6 months, which is a significant time commitment but avoids the risks of more invasive options.
Injectable Therapy for Stable Disease
For men with stable curvature between 30 and 90 degrees who still have adequate erections, injections of an enzyme that breaks down the scar tissue (collagenase) are a well-studied option. The AUA gives this a moderate recommendation based on solid clinical evidence.
In the large phase III clinical trials, men receiving the injections saw an average 34% reduction in curvature (about 17 degrees), compared to an 18% reduction with placebo. A shortened treatment protocol in another study achieved curvature reduction in 96% of patients, with an average improvement of nearly 37%. Across multiple studies, the typical range of improvement falls between 27% and 37% reduction in curvature. The injections are combined with a modeling procedure, where the clinician (and later the patient at home) manually reshapes the tissue to enhance the effect.
Interferon injections are another option the AUA supports, though with a lower level of evidence behind them.
Surgical Options for Stable Disease
Surgery offers the most definitive correction and is reserved for men whose disease has stabilized. There are three main approaches, each suited to different situations.
Plication (Shortening) Procedures
This is the simplest surgical option. It works by tightening the longer side of the penis to match the shorter, curved side, effectively straightening it. Long-term success rates sit around 83%, and the combined functional and anatomical success rate is about 79%. The tradeoff is some degree of penile shortening, though in a study of 268 cases, no patients reported that the shortening interfered with sexual satisfaction. The risk of new erectile problems is relatively low at about 9%.
Plaque Incision or Excision With Grafting
For more severe or complex curvatures, surgeons can cut into or remove the plaque and patch the area with graft tissue. This preserves more length but carries higher risks. Long-term anatomical success rates are similar to plication (around 84%), but the rate of new erectile difficulties is significantly higher at 33%. About 22% of men who undergo grafting end up needing medication to achieve erections afterward, compared to less than 4% with plication.
Penile Implants
When Peyronie’s disease occurs alongside erectile dysfunction that doesn’t respond to medication, an inflatable penile prosthesis addresses both problems at once. Patient satisfaction is high: 81% of men with non-complex Peyronie’s disease reported satisfactory sexual intercourse after implant surgery, and 80% of their partners agreed. Those numbers are nearly identical to satisfaction rates in men receiving implants for erectile dysfunction alone.
However, outcomes are less favorable for men with severe deformity requiring additional grafting at the time of implant placement. In that group, only 61% reported satisfactory intercourse, and just 50% said they would undergo the procedure again. Concerns about penile shortness and reduced sensation at the tip were the main drivers of dissatisfaction in these more complex cases.
What “Treatable” Realistically Means
No treatment completely erases Peyronie’s disease as though it never existed. The scar tissue may shrink but rarely disappears entirely. What treatment can reliably do is reduce curvature enough to restore comfortable sexual function, eliminate pain, and preserve or partially recover lost length. For the vast majority of men, that translates to a meaningful improvement in both physical function and quality of life.
The best outcomes generally come from starting conservative treatment early in the active phase, then pursuing injections or surgery once the disease stabilizes if curvature remains bothersome. Combining approaches, such as traction therapy alongside injections or before surgery, tends to produce better results than any single treatment alone.