Many men all over the world suffer from erectile dysfunction (ED) all over the world. There are several procedures to treat this problem among men however. As the Mayo Clinic noted, most men respond well to erectile dysfunction medication and with the use of an external penis pump. In some cases wherein both procedures and other treatments failed one can resort to penile implants which are considered to be the last option.
About Penile Implants
Penis or penile implants are mechanical devices that are being used to treat erectile dysfunction. Also it can be used to treat Peyronie’s disease in some cases. This procedure requires surgery and as side effects, there is a risk of infection and malfunction. Since penis implants are permanent, once it is removed, a man will not be able to get an erection anymore.
There are several advances in implant technology which include new materials and surgical procedures. Penis implants have two major types which are the semi-rigid rods and the two-piece or three-piece inflatable cylinders.
Procedure of an Implant Surgery
The first thing which a surgeon performs in an implant surgery is that he will put the patient under a general anesthesia. Then he will make an incision underneath the head of the penis and stretches the spongy tissue of the penis, flushing the area with antibiotic and then he will insert one implant rod or two cylinders inside the penis. In cases that the surgeon implants a two-piece inflatable device, he will make an incision and insert a pump into the scrotum. On the other hand, when he makes use of a three-piece device, he will create and incision in the abdomen of the patient and will insert a fluid reservoir in the abdominal wall.
About Semi-Rigid Rods
The semi-rigid rods are types of penis implants that are always firm and it serves to allow a man to extend manually his penis when performing sexual intercourse. If he is not having sex, he can bend his penis back toward his body. This type of inflatable implants is less common and is less complicated, much cheaper and need less surgery so it has less risk of failure.
The disadvantage of semi-rigid rod is that the penis is always slightly rigid and that it is harder to hide under certain clothing. The constant pressure inside the penis can lead to tissue damage as well.
About Two-Piece and Three-Piece Inflatable Implants
These two types of penile implants are very common in the United States since they caused natural erections thus minimize the risk of tissue damage due to constant pressure on the penis. These inflatable implants make use of fluid from a special reservoir to inflate the device. In the case of two-piece units, both the pump and the reservoir are located in the scrotum while in three-piece device the pump is placed on the scrotum while the fluid reservoir is in the abdomen. Prior to sexual activity, the man pumps fluid into the cylinders and once sexual intercourse is finished, he hits a release valve in the scrotum so as to return the fluid into the reservoir. Inflatable implants needs more extensive surgery as compared to semi-rigid designs and the surgery costs more a lot. Additionally, the two-piece device causes the scrotum to appear bulkier due to the pump and reservoir placed in there. The three-piece device needs an abdominal incision and it is the most expensive and extensive surgery.