Ever since heartthrob television doctor Mark Sloan had a sexual mishap on last night's episode of TV hit show Grey's Anatomy, bloggers around the globe have been buzzing about a bizarre and horrifying condition called "broken penis syndrome". For those who didn't catch last night's hot and steamy love scene between Sloan (played by actor Eric Dane) and "intern" Lexie Grey (Chyler Leigh), be advised: it ended painfully—very painfully. At least for Sloan, who suffered a severe injury to his manhood, which prompted a slew of rumors among hospital staff about which woman "broke Sloan's penis," according to ABC's online recap of the episode.
Given that there are no bones in the penis, can it really break? It turns out there is an unfortunate injury termed "penile fracture" that can indeed occur during sexual intercourse. We asked Hunter Wessells, chair of the urology department at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle (also home to the show's Grace Hospital), to describe the condition and how it can happen.
[An edited transcript of the interview follows.]
What exactly is broken penis syndrome?
It's what we call penile fracture. It is a severe form of bending injury to the erect penis that occurs when a membrane called the tunica albuginea tears. The tunica albuginea surrounds the corpora cavernosa, specialized spongy tissue in the core of the penis that fills up with blood during an erection. When the tunica albuginea tears, the blood that is normally confined to this space leaks out into other tissues. You get bruising and swelling.
What are the signs of penile fracture?
Usually there will be a popping sound. If someone has severe pain (in the penis), especially associated with bruising, swelling and loss of erection, he should seek emergency care.
How exactly does penile fracture happen?
Any situation during intercourse when there is thrusting and when the penis, instead of penetrating its normal location, is hitting some solid structure (such as the perineum). Usually this occurs during regular vaginal sex with the woman on top, but it can happen in the missionary position or during sexual acrobatics. We had this patient who suffered penile fracture after running across the room and trying to penetrate his wife with a flying leap.
What can doctors do to fix the tear?
We put the person on general anesthesia and open up the skin through one or more incisions in the penis. Then we find the edge of the tear and close it up with sutures. Sometimes these tears are extensive and span half the circumference of the penis (usually the tears are crosswise), requiring about 10 stitches. Then we close everything up. The operation takes about an hour, and most people go home right after. Most can resume sex in about a month (after the wound has healed).
What happens if you don't get this operation?
There are probably some cases in which you can get away with not operating on it but, in general, you will be more likely to have future complications. Partial or complete tearing of the tunica albuginea can lead to long-term scarring, and the buildup of scar tissue can lead to erectile dysfunction or penile deviations, such as chronic curvature of the penis (causing an erection that bends sideways—sometimes at a 45-degree angle).
How common is penile fracture, and who is most likely to suffer from it?
We don't have any incidence data like that, but we know there are many case reports in the literature. I've seen dozens of cases (in 20 years of working as a physician). At the University of Washington's Harborview Medical Center here in Seattle, we see one or two cases per month.*
Young men in their 20s and 30s, who tend to be engaged in more vigorous sexual activity face the highest risk, but we do see it in men in their 40s and 50s. (The latter's lower risk) might be because older men have decreased frequency and vigor of sexual activity and the tissue in their penises tends not to get quite as rigid.
If the penis bends but the tunica albuginea doesn't tear, could this lead to injury as well?
There are probably many men who have had the experience of missing the penetration spot and bending the penis. Most of these cases are nothing to worry about. But there are some people who have bending injuries (but not full-blown tears) who may go on to develop Peyronie's disease, a condition in which the penis is bent due to the buildup of scar tissue, but it's not yet clear whether this is the cause of the disease.
*Note (1/26/09): This sentence has been modified to correct an error.
See what we're tweeting about
62 Comments
Add CommentI know we're just a few weeks in, but I firmly expect this story to take "Most uncomfortable reading of the year."
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisEnter this under: More information than I want or need.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"...the University of Seattle..."? There is no "University of Seattle." Is this entire article bogus, or just poorly fact-checked? The only universities named "Seattle" are Seattle University, a Jesuit school that offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in nursing, and Seattle Pacific University, which bills itself as "a premier Christian university" that offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in nursing. Could the author possibly be referring to the University of Washington (which has a medical school)?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisMore information than I need or want.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"...University of Seattle?" There is no such institution. Seattle Pacific University, which bills itself as "a premier Christian university," and Seattle University, a Jesuit institution of higher learning, both offer undergraduate and graduate degrees in nursing, but that's about it. The University of Washington, on the other hand, has a medical school.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisLOLOLL. What is the fetish called when a man wants to run across a room and penetrate his wife from a flying leap? Unreal
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe "Sexy Superman Cpmplex?"
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisouch! - did i really need to read this...?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this@fact-checker: since at the begining of the text it is mentioned that the interview is with a urologist from the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, and that the interview has been edited, I guess that the later reference is just a typo.
OMG! Laughed out loud with the visual of "running across the room and...flying leap." OMG - someone would actually TRY this? Hysterical! Imagine the triage person - asking the patient, "Sir, how did this occur?" They would not be able to keep a straight face!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI thought every guy ran across the room to penetrate his wife !
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI thought every guy tried to penetrate his wife by running across the room and leaping on her.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisif your penis bends at a 45 degree angle, it's no cause for alarm. somewhere out there is a woman whose vagina bends at a 45 degree angle.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI also DIED reading this!!!!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHappened to me when I was 23 (now 60) and scared beejesus outta me. Got severe blue balls and no boner for about a month. But it went away and healed all on its own. Now have more kids than I can count, a straight and right-on! manhood mammoth beef and seriously lusty life for an old goat. So there!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI've got it. It's not funny. It doesn't hurt but it isn't good.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI've got it. It isn't funny. It doesn't hurt but it isn't good. It happened 15 years ago.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisouch. (douche chills)
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI'm over it. A broken penis is still better than a Lorena Bobbitt.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI had this problem once when I tried to make a EWU turn!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisif it breaks, it is only fair 'cause it has caused me to go broke a time or two..8:)
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI believe the technical name for Perineum is Taint.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisg
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisBig big penis!! :)
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisBig big big penis :D
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisMarcio é gay
O Marcio e gay :D
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisO Joao o marcio e bixa :D
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisLeo, es mesmo bino meu
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisgay xD
eU SOU O MARCIO
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thismORRAM TODOS O FILHOS DA PUTA
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI liked the way that man tried to penetrate his wife. I'll try it.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI liked the way that man tried to penetrate his wife. Too risky, but it is worth it!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisYou have to risk fracturing your penis for a lousy 7 second ejaculation. That's not pleasure to me. Most women don't deserve sex anyway. Let them masturbate and suffer. Feminists should be forced to go sexless for life as punishment.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHunter Wessells is at the University of Washington. Article appears to not be proofed.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHunter Wessells is at the Univ of Washington. I guess they didn't check the article too carefully.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhen a teen I had to fall on the ground with IT being aroused. Since then it has some leftist inclinations. It was a problem mostly a psychological problem until I met her who appreciated its unusualness and used it to the mutual benefit.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWell, my husbands 46 this year, and saw this segment, now he's come up with a new argument why I don't need to start swimming again. I use to swim 2 miles a day, and he often complained I hurt him, guess thanks to a good soap opera, I've learned to be more gentle. TY Greys :)
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhy the fuck would you fags wana talk about this shit
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisthe people who are saying there is no university of seattle of course there isn't, -.- the article never says "university of seattle" It says quote! "University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle " learn to read and please write something a bit more constructive, instead of flaming the author for a figment of your imagination. Clicking on the name of the doctor interviewed would have brought you to WashUs webpage -.-
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisOT: this was a rather painful read, as enlightened as I feel now about penile fractures I can't say it's a blessing having the thought of breaking my penis everytime I have sex now.
The article is also incorrect in stating that Seattle has a Grace Hospital. There is no "Grace Hospital" in Seattle, though the show is set in Seattle. However, I do believe it is based on one of the hospitals in Seattle, most likely the Swedish Medical Center.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI take that back. It is actually based on Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisL2Read. The article states that Seattle is the home to the TV Show's Grace Hospital, which is an obviously fictional hospital.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHey all you fact-checker wannabes... the article said "We asked Hunter Wessells, chair of the urology department at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle". No where did I see the author reference a Univ. of Seattle or the other place you mentioned. Get ya head outta your pants and read the entire article before you go slamming the author, dingus.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisMy friend just had surgery to repair this fracture. It was really painful! He wasn't having intercourse when it happened; he just turned over in the bed! This is the most bizzare thing I've ever heard but it's true!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisMy husband was misdiagnosed with Peyronie's disease several years ago. I did not realize it until I read this article. I remember the incident when the injury occurred and we went shortly thereafter to a urologist who misdiagnosed him with Peyronie's disease and were told there was nothing that could be done. We sought a second opinion and was told exactly the same thing. Neither doctor EVER bothered to thoroughly examine my husband's penis. Because his penis has almost a 45% angle it is very painful to both him and to me when we have sex, so we eventually just quit trying. We are in our mid to late 50 and this occurred less than 10 years ago. We even quit sleeping in the same bedroom for several years, but are in the same bed now. We were both quite 'hot blooded' and miss the intimacy very much, but as I stated, we sought medical attention and were given no help. After this length of time, do you think that his penis could be repaired?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI read that your friend had surgery for this condition. How is he doing at this point...two months out? I would truly like to see if there is anyone, who isn't an idiot like the doctors whom my husband solicited for help with his problem, who can help him. Someone who has experience and success in this area. It would mean a LOT to our relationship. We have been married 27 years and I miss the HELL out of sex with him. Please respond if you see this reply.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisi pushed on my dick while like obnoxiously randomly erect and i heard a popping sound and it happend before and i didnt think it was anything and my dick leans forword downish i hope its not serious its to embaressing to talk to a docter or anyone about
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI unfortunatley I am a survivor of BPS. Mine happened with my wife after a wedding reception we went to, just thrusted to hard and missed. My tear was very large and I was required to stay in the hospital for 5 days after my surgery. I have a 3" scar. I was 35 and now I am 54 and luckily everything still works. :)
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIs it just a coincidence that this story is running on the same day that the LHC Large Hardon Collider is starting up again?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIt is ironic, as I have been searching the web all day on this topic. . .
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisLast night, I was have vigorous sex with my fiance when the head of my penis was bent backwards. After immediate and debilitating pain, I could feel warm fluid. Finding the light switch, I found that my penis was SPRAYING blood like a hose. This is no exageration. I sprayed at least 2 pints of blood. My situation seems unique to this issue: no loud pop, no swelling and spraying of blood from the tip of my penis
My fiance tookme to the emergency room. After examination by the urologist, surgery has been declined. Instead, I currently have a catheter to reduce the risk of scarring. Also, the tip of my penis is black and bruised. Other than the catheter, there is no real pain. Oh yeah, I woke up with a raging erection! I do not suggest this with a catheter!
I tried the flying leap penetration and ended up with the same results. I am choosing to not seek medical treatment and am just praying that everything is OK in the morning!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thismy boyfriend has a very bad bruise on his oenis on the lower half its a darl purple color and its sometimes painfull for him he can still however get an erection could he have a broken penis
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thismy boyfriend has very bad bruising on the lower part of his penis and under his balls its very hard. he still however can get errected. he got this bruise by hitting my pelvic bone.it is at times painfull but then at times not. does this sound like a broken penis
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thiswhy does my husbands penis hurt when erect and look like it has a rubber band around it
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"At the University of Washington's Harborview Medical Center here in Seattle" Learn to read what you are lookin at Fact-Checker he said University of Washington not University of Seattle.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe severe curvature that is brought upon this condition due to scarring can be fixed naturally without surgery. It is done via the use of penile traction devices. Several manufacturers make these devices, but they're all generally the same. Do a search online for "penile traction device" and you will find them. You simply wear the device and it will stretch the tissues of the penis painlessly over time correcting the curvature and even lengthening your penis. A severe 45 degree curvature can be fully fixed with 6 to 12 months of usage. I have used this device myself and I can testify that it has worked to fix my 45 degree curvature to a 15 degree after 5 months of usage.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisNow I just know about this stuff. Truth be told, I broke my you know what in 2007 or maybe 2008 before I graduated high school, I had a little incident in the bed, and I was so embarrased to tell my Mom and Dad about it, so I foolishly endured it. It's now 2010, and I still urinate just fine. Even now I still haven't told my parents yet. I'm about 20 years old now. I think I waited long enough.......but I wonder if everythings going to be okay? :(
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIt's just so embarrasing I held onto this broken you know what of mine for at least 2-3 years now. Since then, nothing else happened besides my penis now looking a little bent. I already feel that the more I don't seek help right now, the more complications will arise, and I don't want to wait that long. I'm still a virgin, and I do want to experience sexual intercourse someday, someone help please calm me down and tell me what to say to my parents about this....I'm panicking already.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHey man, it will be fine talking to them. They're adults, they'll be mature about it. I just talked to my parents last night in fact... And I've been holding onto my kind of broken penis situation for 5 years. They listened, they weren't awkward, and they were just concerned for me and now I'm going to go to the doctor. If you wait any longer, it could get worse.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI started the convo by telling them funny experiences I had when I first hit puberty. Then I continued until I got to when IT happened. They were just really concerned, they didn't make me embarrassed or uncomfortable. I want to please my wife too, man...
Thanks. Sorry for not responding, but I really needed to hear that comment. anyway, I just got to have the courage and talk to them. Afterwards I got to figure out if surgery is the only way or there could be alternatives...It's still embarrasing, but I'm just one little problem away from completely having my chance to engage in sexual intercourse.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHaving read this material, I have learned for myself a lot of the new. Thanks
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thishttp://www.collegeboard.org/
Never mind the straight face, How about trying to keep a straight dick... The guy must have thought he was jousting and flew off his horse...What a wanker. Or even a half wanker now. he he
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI have a couple of questions. I have a penile fracture. But, I do not have insurance. What should I do?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAlso does anyone know how much the surgery runs for someone who is uninsured?