For men with erectile dysfunction, sexual intercourse can be an impossible, frustrating, and ultimately humiliating experience.
When other methods to treat erectile dysfunction have failed, a penile implant may be the answer.
A penile implant mimics a natural erection, ensuring the return of satisfying sexual activity.
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If you are interested in learning more about your options to correct erectile dysfunction, our team of board-certified urologists at Urology of Greater Atlanta is here to help.
Call one of our convenient locations in Georgia today or book your appointment online.
For men with erectile dysfunction, sexual intercourse can be an impossible, frustrating, and ultimately humiliating experience.
When other methods to treat erectile dysfunction have failed, a penile implant may be the answer.
A penile implant mimics a natural erection, ensuring the return of satisfying sexual activity.
If you are interested in learning more about your options to correct erectile dysfunction, our team of board-certified urologists at Urology of Greater Atlanta is here to help.
Call one of our convenient locations in Georgia today or book your appointment online.
What Can Cause Erectile Dysfunction?
Erectile dysfunction affects upwards of 30 million men in the United States, and most men will have at least one episode in their lifetime.
It can occur for various reasons, including anxiety, depression, or stress. Once these issues have been treated, normal erectile function usually returns.
Other men find that by improving their diet, cutting alcohol, lowering their blood pressure, and losing weight, they have successfully alleviated their sexual health problems.
However, some men suffer from persistent or even permanent erectile dysfunction. This can result from surgery on the bladder, urethra, or penis.
It can also occur due to aging or having had previous cancer treatment.
A condition that affects the regions of erectile tissue in the penis can impact the natural erection reflex. This condition is known as Peyronie’s disease.
It occurs when scar tissue (caused by an injury or trauma) in the penis causes it to bend at an odd angle, making it difficult or even impossible to maintain an erection.
If the case of Peyronie’s is mild enough, it can heal by itself within a few months. However, more severe cases can result in permanent damage.
In such cases, penile implants treat erectile dysfunction by correcting a penile curve.
The Different Kinds of Penile Implant Surgery
There are two main types of penile implants: semi-rigid and inflatable penile implants.
Since they work in different ways, the choice of treatment is usually finalized during a consultation between a doctor and a patient.
The Semi-Rigid Penile Implant
Semi-rigid implants are also known as malleable implants. Two flexible rods are inserted into the penis through a small incision.
These rods can be bent at an angle for a soft, non-aroused state and also straightened to give natural erections.
The insertion of the two rods without any need for further surgery means that this choice of penile implant is a popular one that heals quickly.
The outer incision heals within two weeks, and normal sexual function can be resumed after six weeks.
During the insertion of the penile implant, surgeons do not interfere with any nerves.
Therefore, a patient can expect zero loss of sensation, no problems reaching orgasm, and no ejaculation issues, providing there were no previous issues.
Inflatable Penile Implants
The second kind of penile implant is the inflatable penile prosthesis.
Rather than using malleable rods, inflatable implants work by inserting two cylinders in the penile shaft and a pump in the scrotum, sitting alongside the testicles, which are used to inflate the two cylinders to achieve an erection.
Rather than filling with air, the cylinders are filled with a saline solution that sits in the lower abdomen.
Once there is no longer any need for the penis to be erect, it can be deflated again by gently bending the penis forward to drain the saline.
This is known as a two-piece penile implant.
There is also a three-piece penile implant. It works in the same way as the two-piece inflatable penile implant.
However, it has a third valve that sends the fluid back to the reservoir in the scrotum after use, rather than having to bend the penis to return to a flaccid state.
Which Penile Implant Surgery Is Best?
The decision to opt for a penile prosthesis is often made when all other channels have been exhausted.
All surgeries to fit patients with a penile implant can be completed within a couple of hours.
Still, the recovery time is much shorter for those opting to use malleable rods rather than an inflatable implant. This makes sense, as the surgery focuses on just one area instead of two or three.
However, many men like the feeling of control they have by using two-piece or three-piece implant types.
Inflating the device with the scrotum pump can also be used during foreplay, rather than the act of simply straightening the rods.
The inflatable prosthesis surgery also results in a less rigid and more natural erection, according to many who have had the procedure.
This is thanks to erections being achieved using saline rather than a pair of rods.
Penile Implants Do Not Affect Length or Girth
Despite what many spam emails claim, penile implant surgery does not make the penis longer or add to a man’s girth.
A penile implant is designed to enable men to get erections, and the size of the implant will only ever be adjusted to match the size of the penis.
Some men report some length and girth improvement after the treatment, but this is often due to the penis having become smaller over the period of erectile dysfunction.
Other than assisting in erections, penile implants do not interfere with sensation or the ability to reach orgasm.
Do Insurance Plans Cover Penile Implants?
Yes, penile prosthesis treatment is generally covered by most private insurance companies and by Medicare.
A call to your provider will soon let you know if you have insurance coverage to pay for the surgery.
The procedure does not usually require an overnight stay at a surgery center. Even though it is performed with anesthesia, it is still considered an outpatient appointment.
However, should a drain be fitted in the urethra, there may be a need to stay overnight.
How Long Do Penile Implants Last?
A penile implant is a mechanical device that is, at times, subject to malfunction.
However, many men report the ability to get and maintain an erection regularly for upwards of 15 or even 20 years before the procedure may have to be renewed.
Recovery time for the procedure is just a few weeks, and for 15 years of issue-free erections, many men value the procedure as being worth it.
If you are wondering whether or not you are a good candidate for a penile implant to correct your erectile dysfunction, please contact our professionals at Urology of Greater Atlanta.
Our experienced specialists have 5 locations throughout Georgia to fit your needs. Call us today or discretely book an appointment online.
