What Men Need to Know about Penile Implants

More popularly known as ED, erectile dysfunction is a man's inability to get and maintain an erection that will guarantee a satisfying sexual intercourse. The condition is entirely different from other health issues that may cause problems with a man enjoying sexual intercourse such as having problems with orgasm or ejaculation and having an abnormal lack for sexual desire and may affect men at any age although older men will be more susceptible to suffering from it.

The National Institutes of Health reports that an estimated 5% of men in their 40s and around 15% to 25% of men in their 60s will suffer erectile dysfunction on a long-term basis. Similarly, men will generally experience failure to achieve erection at some point in their lives, which could be owed to a great variety of reasons that may include but should not be limited to stress or overconsumption of alcohol.

Having difficulty getting an erection for less than 20% of the time should not be a cause for worry and will not need any medical attention. Failing to achieve an erection for more than 50% of the time however is a good indication that there is a sexual problem that needs immediate medical treatment.


Penile Implants (Prostheses): An Overview

Penile implants or penile prostheses offer a significant treatment option for men suffering from erectile dysfunction with an their ED having been given an established medical cause, for men who failed to positively respond to nonsurgical treatments (injection therapy, vacuum devices, oral medications, etc.), and for those men who are motivated enough to undergo surgery to correction their erection problems. The process of using penile implants or prostheses is an irreversible surgical procedure, which means it will be there permanently and for good. Hence, it is of utmost importance that the patient should be able to thoroughly discuss the process with the doctor about its advantages and some possible disadvantages prior to actually going under the knife.

The surgery calls for a replacement of the corpora cavernosum or the spongy tissue inside the penis with cylinders that could be inflatable, rigid, or semi rigid, the type of which will depend on the penile prostheses chosen by the doctor and patient. All penile implants that have been surgically inserted will be totally concealed. After the procedure, the man should be able to get an erection and enjoy sexual intercourse. It should be noted however that these penile prostheses do not necessarily enhance the length of one's penis.


Penile Implants: How They Work

Two cylinders - the pump and the reservoir - make up the inflatable penile implants that are surgically inserted in the penis. The cylinders are connected to a separate reservoir of fluid by tubing located under the muscles in the man's groin. Between the testicles and under the loose skin of the sac holding the scrotum lies the pump, which is also connected to the system. This penile implant is what is technically called the 3-piece inflatable type due to the 3 elements that compose it.

The 2-piece inflatable penile implant, on the other hand, is made up of only 2 components - the cylinders and the pump and reservoir combined. Unlike the first type of penile prostheses the reservoir in the 2-piece type is combined with the pump and placed similarly with it in the scrotal sac. Because of the lesser number of components that need to be implanted, the surgical procedure using the 2-piece penile prosthesis is normally shorter and does not require the placement of any parts within the abdominal area of the man. Because of the use of smaller reservoir in the procedure however may cause inadequate erections in some patients.

Inflating the prostheses will only require pressing the pump so it can transfer the fluid from the reservoir to the cylinders within the penis, thus causing the erection. Pressing the deflation valve at the pump will cause the fluid to move back to the reservoir, thereby causing the penis to go back to its normal soft and flaccid state.


Penile Implants: How Effective Are They

Research and clinical data report a high efficiency and reliability occurrence for penile implants. In fact, around 95% of inflatable penile prosthesis surgeries have caused erections that are fit for a satisfying sexual intercourse. A majority of both the patients who have had these surgeries as well as their partners have given positive feedback on the procedure and its outcome. Men who decide to go under the knife for both inflatable and non-inflatable implants reported a considerable improvement with their erectile functions with satisfaction rates going up drastically immediately after 6 months to a year of use.

Patients who have undergone surgery for penile implants admit that their implant-induced erections seem better and more normal as opposed to those caused by nonsurgical methods. They added that penile prostheses allow them to control when they want their erection to occur with the spontaneity it provides as well as offering these men great rigidity and consistency.


Penile Implants: Are There Possible Complications?

Just like any surgeries, penile implants will pose some complications, and topping the list are erosion, infection, and mechanical failure. Erosion occurs when the tissue surrounding the penile implant is damaged causing the device to be pushed through the skin. This complication is almost always associated with infection and will most likely result in the removal of the implant.

Now if infection occurs at any case, the penile implant will have to be removed to eliminate the risks of complicating the condition. Re-implantation of a different device may be possible but only after several months depending on how the doctor assesses the effect of the infection or the other complications.

Mechanical failure as a post-operative complication with penile implant surgeries is more likely to happen in inflatable prostheses types than their non-inflatable counterparts. Leakage from the cylinders is said to be the most common cause for mechanical failure in the implants. Another less common mechanical complication can arise from incorrectly positioned causing spontaneous inflation.


Back>>