Peyronie's surgery recovery: plication vs grafting, and when erections return.

Treatment page

Peyronie's Disease Treatment in Busan

The page behind this recovery guide — active and stable phases, injections, plication and grafting, and who each suits.

Read the Peyronie's page →

The two recoveries side by side — after Peyronie's surgery in Busan

After plication at Urogyn in Busan Seomyeon — surgery from ₩3,000,000 — most men go home the same day or after one night, have swelling and bruising for a week, return to desk work in three to five days, see erections return comfortably at about four weeks, and resume intercourse at six. After plaque incision and grafting, a one-to-two night stay is usual, swelling lasts two to three weeks, erections are deliberately kept quiet for the first two weeks and then encouraged, intercourse waits eight weeks, and the graft continues to soften for six months. Both are followed by photo once you are home.

Which recovery you face was decided before surgery by the curve, the length and the erections, as the Peyronie's page and our cost guide explain. This guide assumes that decision is made and fills in the weeks that follow.

Day 0 and the first night at our Seomyeon clinic

Plication is done under sedation with local anaesthesia and takes about an hour; grafting is done under general anaesthesia and takes two to three hours. Both leave a light compressive dressing and, for grafting, usually a catheter overnight. Expect the penis to be swollen and bruised, sometimes dramatically, by the next morning — the skin of the penis bruises easily and it looks worse than it is. Pain is managed with a regular painkiller for the first three to five days. Men who stay overnight have the first dressing change before leaving; day-case plication patients return on day two. Our anaesthesia guide covers the pre-operative checks for both.

Days 1–14: swelling, bruising and the dressing

Plication. Swelling and bruising peak at day two to three and settle over the week. The dressing comes off at the day-two check and you shower normally afterwards, patting dry. Sutures along the shaft are dissolving or are removed at ten to fourteen days. Desk work from day three to five; walking from day one; no cycling or heavy lifting for three weeks. The clinic check before flying is on day three to five.

Grafting. Swelling lasts longer and the incision — often a circumferential one just behind the glans, with the skin pulled back during surgery — needs more care. The dressing is changed at day two and again around day five; sutures are removed at about two weeks. Desk work after one to two weeks. From week two we actively want erections, because gentle stretching helps the graft heal flat and preserves length; this is the opposite of the first week's instruction and is written down clearly. Flying waits for the second dressing check, around day seven to ten.

• 1 Normal for both. Marked bruising, swelling, numbness of the glans or shaft skin for weeks, a firm ridge along the suture line.
• 2 Message us. Fever over 38°C, wound opening, spreading redness or pus, bleeding that soaks the dressing, or inability to pass urine after catheter removal.
• 3 Avoid. Tight clothing, cycling, heavy lifting, alcohol in the first days, and any sexual stimulation before the written date.

When erections return — and why the two operations treat them differently

After plication, erections return naturally as swelling subsides, usually comfortable by four weeks. They may feel tighter on the operated side at first; this eases. After grafting, erections are suppressed for about two weeks while the graft attaches, then encouraged — morning erections, and from week four gentle traction or a vacuum device as instructed — because an unstretched graft contracts and can cost length or recreate a curve. Some men have softer erections for a few months after grafting as the nerves and blood supply recover; this usually improves, and men whose erections were borderline before surgery were told before the operation that a graft carries this risk. Our ED hub covers the support available if erections are slow to return.

Who operates and follows up

Dr. Moon Hyeon-chang — reconstructive men's surgery

Director of Urogyn, board-certified urologist in Seomyeon with fifteen years in men's surgery including curvature correction. Performs plication and grafting and reviews the photo follow-ups himself.

About the clinic →

Length: what changes, and when the final result is visible

Plication shortens the longer side to match the shorter, so the erect length afterwards is roughly what the plaque side already measured — a loss of about a centimetre is typical and was discussed before surgery. Grafting preserves length by lengthening the short side, but the graft contracts if not stretched, which is why the traction instructions matter. In both operations the penis looks shorter than its final result for the first two to three months because of swelling and the tightness of healing tissue; the final length and straightness are judged at three months for plication and six for grafting, when the graft has fully softened. Men who measure in week three and worry are measuring too early — the surgeon in Seomyeon will say the same.

Resuming intercourse: six weeks or eight, and what the first times are like

Intercourse resumes at six weeks after plication and eight after grafting, once a photo check by our Busan clinic shows the wounds are sound. The first times should be gentle, with lubricant, avoiding positions that bend the penis sharply. Mild discomfort along the suture line is common; sharp pain or bleeding is not, and means stopping and messaging us. Sensation of the glans is often reduced for a few months after grafting because the skin was mobilised during surgery; it recovers in most men. The curve itself is usually visibly improved from the first erections, and continues to straighten slightly as swelling settles.

Follow-up by photo from home: how it works

International patients send photographs at two weeks, six weeks, three months and — for grafting — six months: the flaccid penis from the side, and an erect photo from above and the side against a plain background, with a ruler if you can. We compare them with the pre-operative photographs and reply with an assessment and any changes to the traction or activity plan. Men who notice a recurring curve, a palpable new lump or persistent pain between the scheduled points message us then. Our follow-up from home guide explains the general process, and flying after surgery covers the flight itself.

How it runs at our Busan Seomyeon clinic — and your next step

If you are planning surgery, message us with your travel window and the operation proposed, and we will confirm how many nights to book and when you can fly. If you have had surgery with us and something does not match this guide, send the day number and a photo; we reply during clinic hours and sooner for anything on the "message us" list. The clinic is one minute from Seomyeon Station exit 7; the contact page has directions.