Penile Implant Surgery Frequently Asked Questions
Am I a good candidate for penile implant?
Any patient suffering from severe erectile dysfunction, that does not respond to other ED treatment options, are candidates for a penile implant. Assuming that surgery is the doctor indicated treatment option and there are no contra-indications other than being healthy enough for general anaesthesia – which will be assessed by your doctor pre-operatively, you are more than likely a candidate for this procedure.
Will my penis be the same after the penile implant?
Yes – the only difference is that you will be able to achieve strong erections on demand. In fact, many patients feel that the erections they achieve after a penile implant surgury are the hardest that they have experienced.
For more information on this topic, we have a dedication section here.
Which is the best penile implant?
There are various types of penile implants from two main medical device companies (AMS and Coloplast). There are a number of things that need to be taken into consideration before deciding which penile implant is correct for any particular patient including pre-existing medical conditions, patient wishes and cost (for self-paying patients).
During your consultation with the doctor these options will be discussed extensively and you will decide together which is the best penile implant for you.
How long does the operation take?
All our penile implant surgeries are day care and take between 1 and 2 hours of operating time. This means that the whole process (from admission to discharge from the clinic) is around 6 hours, after which you can leave our clinic.
Do I need general anaesthesia?
Yes – the operation is performed under general anaesthesia. A majority of modern day care surgery requires light anaesthesia and since our operations are minimally invasive, it is very unlikely that there will be any issues.
You are put to sleep just before the operation starts and wake up just after the surgeon finishes – so in total you will be under anaesthesia for around 2 hours.
How long do I need to stay in the hospital for?
After the operation you would need to remain in hospital for 3-4 hours. During this time you will be attended by our nurse, eat something, get checked by your surgeon and then you will be ready to go home. You will be able to walk and function normally, usually with very little pain or discomfort.
I am travelling from abroad – how long do I need to stay for follow up after my surgery?
The next day after your operation you will have a follow up in office consultation with your surgeon. After this most patients can travel although we recommend that you stay for a further 1-2 days so that you can have further follow ups over then next few days with your surgeon if required.
What do I need to do to prepare for the operation?
Nothing specific – although following a healthy lifestyle (in terms of diet, exercise, smoking and alcohol consumption) the preceding month is advised since this will assist with the recovery. Moreover, you will be given detailed fasting instructions that you need to follow 6 hours before the surgery. If you have fallen ill or there are any other recent health concerns, make sure you inform your surgeon as soon as possible so as to evaluate whether your surgery should be post-poned to a later date. If there are any other things you need to do pre-operatively, your doctor will inform you during your consultation.
What is the cost of the surgical treatment?
Surgical treatment costs will depend on the type of operation, the type of penile implant used and the specific circumstances of each patient. Following your consultation and if you are a successful candidate for a surgical option, an all inclusive cost will be quoted (covering medical material, hospital fees, anaesthetist fees and surgeon’s fee and any follow up consultations).
As an indication, for self-paying patients the all inclusive cost for Penile Implant surgery starts at £7500.
How experienced are your surgeons?
Our surgeons focus exclusively on male uro-genital surgery and have also published extensively on the diagnosis and treatment of erectile dysfunction. We are an international referral centre and patients travel from all over the world to visit our clinic.
Equally important is that as an international network of andrology practices, we have developed very strict and state of the art surgical protocols and have monthly sessions during which our surgeons share their experiences and discuss difficult cases hence constantly improving the surgical techniques employed.
This means that the surgeons of our group have a combined experience of over 1400 penile implant surgeries, one of the most experienced in the world.
What are your success rates?
As is the case with all medical operations, there is a small possibility of complications. The two most severe complications are mechanical failure (less than 5%) and infection of the prosthesis (2-3%). In both cases, the complications can be resolved with a revision of the surgery and/or replacement of the prosthesis. Revision surgery has a success rate of 93%, bringing the total success rate of our penile prosthesis surgery to over 99%.
We believe a very important element that results in such high success rates, beyond the surgical skills of our doctors, is the correct patient selection in terms of surgical technique and also our extensive post-surgical follow up with patients.
Do you have any patient testimonials?
Yes. We have extensive patient testimonials (published anonymously here) and we can also put you in contact with individual patients either via phone or email if you would like to know more about their surgical experience in our clinic.
What do I need to do after the surgery?
The day after your operation, you will attend a consultation with your surgeon during which he will provide you with detailed post-operative instructions, change your medical dressing and answer any questions that you may have.
Until your next in office consultation (usually a 2-4 weeks later) your surgeon and our patient co-ordination team will be in close contact with you asking for regular updates and also addressing any concerns you might have.
How long do I need to take of work in order to have the surgery?
Most patients can return to work 2-5 days after their operation assuming it is office based work. If your work involves heavy physical activity, then you may need a bit longer off work to recuperate muscle strength.
How long after the surgery can I resume sexual activities?
Sexual activities can be resumed after 4-6 weeks unless otherwise advised by your surgeon.
Will I experience pain after the operation?
Some mild pain and discomfort should be expected but this can be countered with over the counter oral painkillers.
Do I need to replace the penile implant after a number of years?
Like any mechanical device, penile implants undergo normal wear and tear may need to be replaced after 10-15 years. However, these figures have been reported with older types of penile implants. In our experience, modern implant models are produced with newer materials and more advanced manufacturing techniques meaning that their longevity can be significantly higher than 10 years.
What are the potential complications?
All our operations are minimally invasive and most complications can be treated conservatively.
Most patients will experience some swelling of the penis, which will subside after the first few days from the operation. Rare complications (associated with any type of surgery) may include bleeding, infection, localised tissue damage (blood vessels, nerves, penis glans, urethra) and in rare cases, mechanical failure of the device.
During your pre-operative consultation, you will be informed extensively of the risks involved in the operation and your surgeon will answer any questions that you may have.
I am considering a Penile Prosthesis option. What should I do next?
If you are considering having a penile prosthesis operation, we advise you to book a consultation with one of our highly experienced doctors. Our clinic is one of the few high volume penile prosthesis centres in the country and we are confident that we can assist you in choosing the best treatment option.
During the consultation, the doctor will carry out a thorough evaluation of your erectile dysfunction issues, assess whether you are a viable candidate for penile implant surgery, discuss the different options for the penile implant operation and answer any questions that you may have.