Kadee Thompson, MD
Sexual Health Specialist and Prosthetic Surgeon
Ask good questions before penile implant surgery!
As you pursue options for sexual restoration, you may be asking important questions about your future experience with a penile implant. Asking good questions will help you navigate expectations for recovery and life with the penile implant. After you seek consultation with an expert in sexual health, you should consider discussing the journey towards sexual restoration with a patient who has undergone the penile implant surgery. Your surgeon may provide you with a list of patients who are able to share their personal experience with the penile implant. These testimonies can provide you with valuable insight and confidence for your own journey.
Post-operative recovery period
After your procedure, you will likely return to normal activities within a week and experience a complete, brief recovery period ranging from 4–6 weeks. During that time, you may be asked to inflate the implant daily to maximize aesthetic and functional benefits. Full inflation of your implant can be learned with simple instruction. After the recovery time, you will be ready to engage in sexual intercourse in 4–6 weeks. If you pursue a malleable implant, the recovery period will not require any inflation.
Full inflation of your implant can be learned with simple instruction.
Untreated erectile dysfunction can lead to penile shortening prior to the implant surgery. This muscle atrophy may affect the length of the penis in the future. Advances in technique for surgical implantation may preserve penile length and girth but are unlikely to create length that was lost as a result of untreated erectile dysfunction. Seek a prosthetic specialist for your procedure and follow post-operative instructions carefully to optimize the healing process and to preserve remaining penile length.
Need for future revision post-implant
The implant device typically lasts 10–15 years, depending on the type of implant.1
You may wish to consider a revision of the implant at that time if you notice a change in function or reliability.
What to expect for your experience after penile implant surgery
The erection provided by the implant is satisfying, reliable and endures until you choose to complete your sexual experience. Because the implant is entirely concealed, the implant can remain private. The healed scar will be subtle and imperceptible to casual observers.
Your implant will be undetectable in the shower or locker room. Sexual satisfaction for both the patient and partner have been well-described in research studies and remain consistently high.2 Orgasm, ejaculation, and penile sensation are not affected by the penile implant surgery if you were capable prior to the surgery.3
Orgasm, ejaculation, and penile sensation are not affected by the penile implant surgery if you were capable prior to the surgery.3
Your future: sexual wholeness
Your desire to maintain healthy sexuality for years to come has likely played a role in your decision to pursue penile implant surgery. Evidence suggests men with ED suffer from anxiety and depression.4 For many patients, sexual restoration can lead to freedom and intimacy that enhances relationships, self-esteem and emotional health.
This physician is a Boston Scientific consultant but was not compensated for the creation of this article.
Kadee Thompson, MD
Sexual Health Specialist and Prosthetic Surgeon
Sutter Health
2725 Capitol Avenue, #400
Sacramento, CA 95816
(916) 262-9386
https://www.sutterhealth.org/find-doctor/dr-kadee-thompson
Levine LA, Becher E, Bella A, et. al. Penile Prosthesis Surgery: Current recommendations From the International Consultation on Sexual Medicine. J Sex Med. 2016 Apr;13(4):489–518.
Montorsi F, Rigatti P, Carmingnani G, et al. AMS three-piece inflatable implants for erectile dysfunction: a long-term multi-institution study in 200 consecutive patients. Eur Urol. 2000 Jan;37(1):50–5.
Penile Implants-Erectile Dysfunction. Sex Health Matters: http://www.sexhealthmatters.org/erectile-dysfunction/penile-implants-erectile-dysfunction/P7. Accessed December 3, 2014.
DiMeo PJ. Psychosocial and relationship issues in men with erectile dysfunction. Urol Nurs. 2006 Dec;26(6):442–6.