What can be said to be man's worst medical nightmare, happened for real to a 32-year-old man from New York. Comedian Ross Asdourian thought that he broke his penis and was rushed to a hospital after it just 'popped'.
"I think that all men in the depths of their brain know that this is possible. And I will go a step further and say that most men have probably had scares where maybe it bent a little bit, myself included," Asdourian told CNN.
He met up with an old friend at a bar and took her back to his apartment. "We were basically approaching the finish line ... and I came out, and when I went to go back in, she was pushing back, and basically it just popped," he said.
He was diagnosed with corpus cavernosum or penile fracture. It is a tear in the tunica albuginea – a rubbery sheath of tissue below the skin allowing the penis to increase in width and length, producing a firm erection. Sometimes the tissue beneath the tunica albuginea ruptures and it's known as the corpus cavernosum.
Symptoms
If such a thing happens, one needs to go to the hospital as soon as possible and might need a surgery. It's a severe injury and following symptoms can be a sign of the fracture, audible popping or snapping sound, severe pain after the injury, sudden loss of your erection, bent penis, dark bruising above the injured area, difficult urination, bent penis and blood leaking from the penis.
Causes
It can happen due to sudden trauma or bending of the penis, rupturing the erectile tissue beneath the tunica albuginea may also rupture. The fracture can also injure the urethra -- the channel in the penis that urine flows through.
Common causes of penile fracture or corpus cavernosum include forceful bending of the penis during intercourse, traumatic masturbation, accident or mishap.
Risk factors
Penile fracture can result from injury during any position in sexual intercourse, certain practices increase the odds. According to Healthline, woman-on-top position during sexual intercourse increases the risk. It might also if someone is attempting to enlarge or straighten their penis, deflating an unwanted erection.
Treatment
If one suspects a fracture, going to the doctor as soon as possible is the best option, because if left untreated, it can leave the penis permanently damaged. It can lead to difficulty and cause erectile dysfunction (ED).
It might require surgery, use stitches to close the tear in the tunica albuginea. The main goal of treatment is to restore or maintain its ability to have erections and urinary function.
