Man’s penis partially cut off after two-days erection

An Indian man’s penis has been partially cut off after he had an erection for two days then suffered gangrene due to doctors’ error.

The unnamed 52-year-old presented himself to doctors because he couldn’t get rid of the “painful and sustained” erection.  Doctors swiftly drained the blood from his erect penis, but left a catheter in and tightly dressed his manhood, causing the patient to develop black gangrene. He later reported back to them, showing signs of severe damage tissue caused  by an acute loss of blood circulation and doctors had no choice but to cut off the infected part of his penis.

Details of the highly-unusual case, which occurred at King George’s Medical University in Lucknow, northern India, were published last month in the British Medical Journal .The man had been suffering from priapism, a medical term for a persistent and painful erection.

It is not known what caused the patient’s condition but experts consider an erection lasting more than 48 hours a medical emergency. Three weeks after the life-changing operation the man was able to urinate as usual and now has a “healthy wound.”

A medical doctor suggested the catheter and tight dressing put on after the procedure could have triggered the gangrene in the patient.