Inflatable Penile Implant
A penile implant is one of the most successful surgeries. It has over 90% patient satisfaction rate and is a life-changing experience for men who elect to have this procedure done.
It enables the patient to have sex on demand. The erection can last as long as desired, and the patient has normal sensation with the ability to have an orgasm and normal ejaculation.
Inflatable penile implants has been used for over 20 years and have been improved significantly over time. The latest implants consist of two cylindrical rods, one on each side, in the penis. A small reservoir is put behind the pubic bone, and a small pump is placed inside the scrotum.
Every part of the penile implant is underneath the skin and is completely invisible. When the patient wishes to have an erection, he simply squeezes on the pump inside the scrotum to fill the shafts. After sex, a small knob in the scrotum will deflate the cylinders and the penis softens.
The complication rate is low and is approximately 3%. Complications include infection, implant malfunction, and extrusion.
Other surgical options for treatment of ED that are not recommended include:
- Arterial Bypass: brings in adjacent blood vessels to improve circulation. The success rate is low because of build-up of blocks in the smaller blood vessels beyond the new arterial supplies
- Remove or tie up some of the veins leaving the penis with decreased blood flow. This works for a short period of time and fails because new veins will open up and blood outflow will increase again