Introduction -- six months after implant

[Beardman]

Hi, just wanted to let folks know about my experience. I'm a 68-year-old now who had robotic prostatectomy by Dr. David Samadi in 2011. Great result on the cancer (negative margins, undetectable PSA ever since), and on the continence front (never an issue). But no erections post-surgery. To be sure, there wasn't much hope, since I was already dependent on Cialis before the surgery.

I tried injections for a while after the surgery, but particularly suffered from an aching sensation when chemically erect, so I gave that up after trying different formulations. I also didn't like the process and lack of spontaneity.

I then let the years pass, and had a limited love life as a result. I was capable of orgasm while flaccid via manual stimulation, mine or my wife's, and resigned myself to that.

Then last year, I began thinking about implants. I found this board and read it very thoroughly. I can't recommend FrankTalk enough -- it was invaluable to me. Since I live in Philadelphia, I visited Dr. Bruce Garber, who is a local high-volume implanter. I am of scientific background and temperament and asked him a lot of questions. He didn't seem comfortable discussing details of his procedure with a patient, which turned me off.

Based on what I read here, I debated seeing Dr. Andrew Kramer in Baltimore or Dr. Francois Eid in New York. The two cities are about equidistant from me. I decided to check out Dr. Eid, since I liked his extreme emphasis on avoiding infection via his No-Touch Technique. I corresponded with Dr. Eid through his website, asking detailed questions about my case, how my robotic prostatectomy would impact the implant procedure, and so on. Dr. Eid answered all my questions himself in detail via email -- and I wasn't yet his patient and he had never met me in person!

I went to see him in New York, and he was completely forthcoming about what he does, how he does it, why he does it, and what I could expect and not expect. It was one of the most satisfying doctor-patient conversations I have ever had. I had Dr. Eid do the implant in September 2016. I arranged to stay in a hotel in New York for 72 hours post-surgery so I could stay on my back for 48 hours as directed without interruptions for travel. Everything went well during and after the procedure. Removing the catheter myself was no problem. I found the pain tolerable. I used the high-end pain meds for a couple of days and went to Tylenol after that. The hot water baths were essential and I did them religiously., several times a day, as hot as I could stand, for 40 minutes each time. I found being on my back essential for the first week or so.

In my case, the tenderness didn't subside as fast as I hoped. When I went to see Dr. Eid for the checkup to activate the implant, I was still too tender, so we set another date a couple of weeks later. That time we went ahead and activated. I followed instructions religiously to inflate at least daily to stretch scar tissue. Over time, this became easier. So did finding the button to deflate, which was difficult for me for a long time, but I eventually got good at it. Also over time, the soreness when inflating went away. Basically, I was experiencing no discomfort after two months post-op, even when inflating. And inflating has become easier and faster. The pump has softened, as Dr. Eid told me it would, and the number of pumps needed to complete inflation has dropped from 60 or more to less than 50, since more fluid is now pumped with each press.

Dr. Eid implanted me with a 24 cm Titan Coloplast + one RTE, for a total implant length of 25 cm. I had been concerned about penis size, since I had been fairly long and thick prior to the prostate surgery, and I felt I had lost some length in that surgery when my urethra had been reconnected minus the prostate in the middle. But I spent some months before the implant surgery stretching my penis manually, hoping to recover the length I thought I had lost. It seems to have worked. Now, after the implant, I am the same I was in my earlier days, both length (measuring the top surface, 7.30 inches from pubic bone to tip of glans), and girth (6.25 inches circumference).

BTW, because the Coloplast is almost full-length when uninflated, I have had to deal with underwear issues after the implant. In the past, I was a boxer shorts guy, but that doesn't work now, especially when wearing jeans or similar abrasive cloth -- too much friction on a loosely hanging penis. Similarly, trying to work our at the gym or ride a bike doesn't work with a free-hanging penis in boxers or exercise shorts, and regular jockstraps have pouches that are too small. So do standard briefs and boxer briefs. In the end, I found the Andrew Christian underwear line a life-saver. I use the Trophy Boy model, but there are others as well. They enable my penis and testicles to be held and controlled in a properly-sized pouch which works under regular clothes and also while exercising.

Sex is now fabulous. As many people have commented, having complete confidence in one's erection changes everything in bed, and to some extent out of it, too. In bed, it liberates one to pursue any sexual position one wants. When fighting ED, it sometimes is best to stick with the missionary position, since the pull of gravity helps the flow of blood to the penis. After the implant, there is no need to worry about any of that. I found that I could indulge my creativity and sensuality as a lover since I didn't have to think about the possible impact on my erection. And out of bed, there is a knock-on effect. Maybe there is a slight unconscious swagger in my step, or maybe I'm just not thinking about my ED in the back of my mind all the time, for example when I see a sexy commercial don TV or a pretty girl walk by.

Bottom line, this has been a complete success for me. I recommend Dr. Eid, and his very nice and capable office staff, extremely highly. I know some others have had unfortunate experiences with this kind of surgery, but I'm ecstatic with my result. As many others have said, I only wish I had done it much sooner.

Michael

[gollam121]

Thank you Beardman, this is a fantastic story and brings the hope I need right now.

I have a venous leak and was able to get an erection but would lose it fast. Went for vein surgery which has been a disaster and left me impotent, I can masturbate at about 50% but obviously my next step is to get implanted.

Good luck and thank you for sharing your journey with us.

Regards
Gollam121