Many individuals, when suffering from Erectile Dysfunction, are recommended for penile prosthesis or penile implant. This problem develops when a person finds difficulty in maintaining an erection during sexual intercourse. It is mostly common in males. This condition leads to anxiety, stress and depression from sexual activity.

In penile prosthesis surgery, inflatable or flexible rods are placed into the penis. This procedure is applicable for the maintenance of erection during sexual activity. It is a safe and effective surgical approach for erectile dysfunction as compared to other surgeries.

Types of Penile Implants

This surgery is of two kinds. These include the following:

Inflatable Implant: Some inflatable devices like fluid reservoir, pump release valve and inflatable cylinders are used for this surgery. A doctor uses these surgical components to create an erection.
Semi-Rigid Implant: An implant which always remains firm is a semi-rigid implant. This type of surgery involves two malleable cylinders. It is less expensive than inflatable devices and mainly used for recurrent priapism, Peyronie’s disease, etc.

Benefits of Penile Prosthesis Treatment

The advantages of this surgery are as follows:

It is an outpatient procedure, which takes one or two hours to complete.
A natural appearance is implanted from this surgery after the implantation of a device.
Its satisfaction rate is higher than other erectile dysfunction treatments.
It reduces emotional distress and improves self-confidence in male individuals during sexual intercourse.
A device is inflated discreetly.

Risks and Complications

The complication rate of this surgery is low but it leads to several complications. These include the following:

Hematoma formation
Uncontrolled Bleeding
Mechanical failure
Corporal fibrosis
Urethral injury
Penile deformity
Corporal erosion
Mechanical failure
Glandular Ischemia
Floppy glans

Who is Eligible for this Surgery?

A patient might be a candidate for a penile implant surgery if he suffers from the following health conditions. These include the following:

Persistent Erectile Dysfunction
Penile Injury
Peyronie’s disease

This surgery is not suggested for individuals with urinary tract infection, penile curvature, etc. They must consult with a relevant doctor, when suffering from these medical conditions.

Treatment Procedure of Penile Prosthesis

See the process of penile prosthesis surgery from before to after:

Before Procedure

An individual meets with a healthcare provider before the surgery. Some vital conditions and general health might be checked in the healthcare department. The bladder must be emptied and there are no severe urinary issues before the surgical procedure. A type of implant will be discussed with a surgeon in the hospital.
If a male person is taking any prescription or over-the-counter antibiotic medicines, then he must consult with their healthcare provider while taking them. Some medications such as aspirin, blood thinners, etc, might increase the risk of bleeding in individuals. Before they avoid any of these, they must consult with a healthcare professional.
The specific instructions are provided to an individual on eating and drinking. These healthy habits must be prohibited before the surgical procedure. An individual must take prescribed medicine with a small sip of water.
The abdomen and groin must be washed thoroughly to reduce the risk of infection problems in patients. A shaving around the penis and scrotum is not required before the surgery.

During Procedure

A penis implant surgery might require general or spinal anesthesia and can be performed from a healthcare team. After that, a catheter is placed into the bladder, which allows the urine to flow from the urethra. This device is removed after the surgical procedure.
After the removal of a catheter, an intravenous injection is applied with a pain medicine during the surgery. A surgeon will create an incision and place an implant on a corpora cavernosa. They are tubes which make the penis hard when filled with blood. The size of an implant will be customized according to the size of a penis.
The reservoir will be attached with an abdomen and the pump inside a scrotum in case of inflatable implant. Some additional incisions might be required to place these devices but they are quite small.
After the insertion of an implant, the incisions are closed with dissolvable stitches. The small surgical drains might be stitched into the incision sites after the removal of a blood or fluid. After that, a bandage is applied over the incision.

After Procedure

Some side effects such as pain, swelling and discomfort for a few weeks. A medication will also be recommended to patients when they suffer from pain and infection. It can be antibiotic, narcotic pain-reliever and over the counter medicines.
An individual can consult with a relevant doctor before resuming the normal activities. The strenuous and sexual activities will be recommended for 4 or 6 weeks after the surgery.