Efficacy and long-term outcomes of congenital penile curvature treatment in children using tunica albuginea plication and Heinecke–Mikulicz corporoplasty

Purpose This study aimed to compare the efficacy and long-term outcomes of tunica albuginea plication and Heinecke–Mikulicz corporoplasty techniques in children. Methods A retrospective review was performed on 176 children who underwent corrective surgery for CPC with a curvature angle between 30° and 60° between 2014 and 2022. Patients were classified into three groups: degloving alone (Group 1, n = 85), tunica albuginea plication (Group 2, n = 72), and Heinecke–Mikulicz corporoplasty (Group 3, n = 19). Results The mean age at surgery was 7.6 ± 3.2 years (range: 4–11). Curvature was mainly ventral or ventrolateral (84.8%). Mean preoperative curvature angles were 36.2°, 37.4°, and 41.4° in Groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Adequate correction was achieved with degloving alone in 48.2% of patients. In those requiring additional correction, complete straightening was obtained in all cases ( p < 0.001). During a mean follow-up of 26.7 ± 17.7 months, curvature recurrence occurred in 18.8%, 19.4%, and 21.1% of patients in Groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Late complications included palpable suture knots in two patients from Group 2 and four from Group 3. Conclusions Tunica albuginea plication is a safe, effective, and practical option for correcting penile curvature in children when degloving alone is insufficient.