Caverno Saphemous Shunt for Priapism Treatment in India

Navya Williams, a 28-year-old graphic designer...

Navya Williams, a 28-year-old graphic designer and avid cyclist, had been managing sickle cell disease her entire life. She presented to the emergency department after 14 hours of a painful, rigid erection that began after a long weekend bike ride. This was her third episode of priapism in two years, but the previous ones had resolved with ice packs and oral medications. This time, nothing worked. The on-call urologist, Dr. Evans, explained that her sickle cells were blocking blood drainage from her penis, causing ischemic tissue damage. After failed aspiration and irrigation, he recommended an immediate caverno-saphenous shunt to create a new drainage pathway and save erectile function. Navya was terrified of permanent impotence but consented. Under general anesthesia, Dr. Evans connected a vein from her leg (the saphenous vein) to the swollen chambers in her penis. The surgery was successful, and the erection subsided. Recovery involved a week of bed rest with her leg elevated, significant penile bruising, and pain management. While she regained the ability to have erections with medication, they were not as firm as before. Emotionally, Navya cycled from acute fear and embarrassment to relief that the pain was gone, then to grief for the partial loss of a core part of her intimacy. With counseling and her partner's support, she is adapting, focusing on the fact that the procedure saved her from complete erectile dysfunction and chronic pain.