What Is a Buried Penis?
A buried penis, although normal-sized, gets hidden under skin or fat. Sometimes, the tip of the penis is still visible.
Some babies are born with a buried penis. The ligaments that attach the penis to other structures may have weakened. In kids, it often goes away on its own.
Adult-acquiredburied penis occurs later in life. It's most common in men who are morbidly obese.
Men with this condition may:
- Have trouble peeing standing up.
- Find they can't have sex.
- Start having feelings of doubt or other mental health issues.
- Suffer a lower quality of life.
Buried penis causes
Causes of buried penis include:
- Morbid obesity — excess fat around the belly and genitals can cover the penis.
- Genital lymphedema — lymph fluid may cause swelling around the scrotum, hiding the penis.
- Scars — scars from prior surgeries can hide the penis.
- Hidradenitis — lumps form on the thighs and belly where the skin rubs together, hiding the penis.
- Trauma — blunt force trauma to the genital area (such as in a car accident) may cause swelling and scarring.
Buried penis risk factors and complications
The major risk factor for a buried penisis being morbidly obese.
Left untreated, a buried penis can lead to complications, such as:
Why choose the UPMC Department of Urology?
Our team has advanced specialty training in surgery to fix buried penis, led by Paul Rusilko, DO, FACS.