(039) Clinical Outcomes of Corporal Burnett “Snake” Maneuver Modification for Ischemic Priapism
Authors: Unal S , Karakus S , Du Comb W , Burnett AL 
Published: February 2024

Introduction

The conventional approach for managing ischemic priapism (IP) involves a stepwise process that includes corporal aspiration and irrigation, intracavernosal sympathetic agent injection, shunt surgeries with or without snaking, and penile prosthesis implantation. It is crucial to determine the most appropriate surgical shunt procedure for patients who do not achieve detumescence with medical treatment, as complication rates are known to increase with ischemia time.

Objective

This study compared the effectiveness and clinical outcomes of distal penile shunt procedures with or without corporal Burnett "Snake" maneuver in patients presenting with IP.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective study involving patients who presented to our emergency department with IP and underwent surgical treatment at our institution between 2005 and 2021. The patients were divided into two groups: Group 1 (n = 26) underwent distal shunt + Burnett snake maneuver, and Group 2 (n = 56) underwent distal shunt-only. Clinical history, clinical parameters of IP, medical and surgical treatment details, and follow-up information, including IP recurrence, erectile function (EF), and complications, were determined through physician-patient interviews during preoperative assessment and postoperative visits. Successful priapism resolution was defined as pain relief, detumescence, and no further intervention required until discharge. Priapism recurrence was defined as a new presentation to the hospital with IP. EF was assessed before distal shunt surgeries and during post-op visits. EF was graded on a 4-point patient-reported scale: 1 = fully rigid, always capable of penetration, 2 = diminished erection, capable of penetration with phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors, 3 = diminished erection, capable of penetration with intracavernosal/intraurethral injection or vacuum pump, 4 = insufficient erection despite non-surgical treatment methods.

Results

The patient's demographic characteristics are shown in Table 1. IP resolution was observed in 24 out of 26 patients (92.3%) in Group 1 and in 30 out of 56 patients (53.6%) in Group 2 (p &lt; 0.001) with a single surgical intervention. IP recurrence was observed in 1 out of 24 patients (4.2%) in Group 1 and in 18 out of 30 patients (60%) in Group 2 among those successfully treated with a single surgical intervention (p &lt; 0.001). When comparing the EF status between groups, 6 out of 14 patients (42.8%) in Group 1 compared to 13 out of 26 patients (50%) in Group 2 had functional preservation of EF (level 1 + level 2) after priapism surgery, among those successfully treated with a single surgical intervention which had EF data in their charts (p = 0.66).

Conclusions

Our study demonstrates that Burnett snake maneuver is more effective than distal shunt-only procedures in resolving acute IP. Furthermore, this technique shows greater success in preventing IP recurrences. Regarding EF recovery, Burnett snake maneuver is at least as successful as distal shunt-only procedures, even in cases with longer ischemia times.

Disclosure

No.