The Va

[sandy1258]

Does the VA do penile implants?

[JDavid]

I believe they do.

[jeremc]

Yes they do. My neighbor got his at the Memphis VA.
Jere

[edr2bx14]

Yes they do. My neighbor got his at the Memphis VA.
Jere

I am to have mine done at the VA on Nov. 21 and hoping that it will change my lifestyle.

[VietNamVet]

Yes. Had mine done at the VA in Dallas recently. My wife has turned into a 22 year old nympho who can't keep her hands off, which is not bad at all, as we've been married for quite a while, and are in our 60s.

Recommendations:

VA seems to prefer Titan, which works well, but ask LOTS of questions and watch the surgery videos on YouTube so you know what to expect. If you really want AMS after your research, you can probably talk them into it. There's an AMS surgical manual online (sorry, no longer have the link, but google can find it), so RTFM (for the civilians among us: Read The Friendly Manual). That will answer many of your questions and may raise more.

VA also prefers you use injection therapy first, but you should be able to skip it-almost everyone is turned off by the injections, so won't force you. That applies doubly to female nurses, PAs or urologists you might encounter.

Take your wife/SO with you to all appointments so she's part of it. Tell her not to be concerned if the docs, etc., you see are young, attractive and female, and not to be concerned as she watches them examining your equipment! They really are just doing their jobs.

Plan on spending the night. If you're more than 50 miles away and they have a Fisher House, request a room for your wife/SO for the night-has to be done by the doc, and there us no charge. We got a room even though we were closer since they were nearly empty at the time.

Caveats:

The Titan is definitely HARD when inflated. You may or may not get a swollen glans. Inflate as much as you can each time. You will gain a bit of length and girth over time. So far (2 months along), I've gained 1/2" each way from the first time, and it seems to be continuing. Doc says this is due to the tissue stretching to accommodate the implant's full size. (The initial measurement was what was used to size the implant and was not increased , but the tissues take a while to get used to it, hence the soreness for a while.)

You probably will get some auto inflation at first.

You will need a jock strap or similar support for a week or so. You may want to cut a hole in it for your bionic penis, as they will probably leave you partially inflated for a while. For me it was 6 weeks.

I was a grower, not a shower. I'm still a bit of a grower, believe it or not. It takes a while to get used to, and you may be a bit sore after using it.

Yes, we cheated on waiting 6 weeks to try it out. Only made it 2 weeks. Very sore, no other issues. About weekly until the official ok. I no longer keep track now....

[oatmealkid]

Although I am a VA outpatient I get the snotball bureaucratic runaround when I ask about seeing a urologist for an implant.
"You have to go to the ER for that"
Will one of you who has successfully navigated the implant process with the VA please message me with advice on how to get this done?
Thanks

[Quester]

OatmealKid I sent you PM with this same post.

I felt that maybe my experiences with the VA may help other Vets, who come onto FrankTalk


I'm sure that the bureaucracy of the VA is very frustrating for all of us veterans. I'm sure each region and maybe even with each medical center is different.

With me I started with my Primary care for treatment of ED. IT seems that my medical (Salt Lake City UT) center has an ED clinic that they sent me too. I would recommend that you request being sent to the urology clinic.

After being on pill, Viagra and Levitra which ever was under VA contract until it all I got out of the pills was a pounding head ache so back to Primary Care. They sent me back to Urology and was put on injections CaverJect and Edex again what ever was on contract. I was unfortunate to develop Peyronie's Disease (PD) so called the Urology clinic right away as I wasn't sure what was causing the curve in my shaft.

About a year after the diagnoses of PD I was back and ready by then for an implant. I had spent the year researching PD and various treatments and was ready for an implant. My wife had gone to a previous appointment when I thought I was ready but the one when I was scheduled for the implant she wasn't with me.

I think because I had educated myself and was able to talk to the doctor in an informed manner during that appointment which was the 19th of July, they felt I was ready for the implant as I discussed each option of treatment of my conditions.

About 45 days after that appointment #rd of September I had my implant surgery

Again each VA is different and I have heard the ER story from others as well as being told that myself. Which I find odd as well, but I guess they can cut the read tape for specialty clinic consults. It seems that VA treat the ER as kind of catch all clinic.


Anyway best of luck

[Txagq8]

I'm sure that the bureaucracy of the VA is very frustrating for all of us veterans. I'm sure each region and maybe even with each medical center is different.

You’ve got that right.

Color me terminally naive and dumb to think that people working at the VA are genuinely interested in helping people instead of collecting a paycheck.

I’m a retired Army Officer who hung up the uniform 12 1/2 yrs ago at age 51. The retired enlisted personnel at my nearby VA facility pretty much told me that, despite the fact I was eligible for benefits, they controlled access and it would be a cold day in hell before I was able to get appointments to see any of the specialties I needed.

I never even got to establish care at the VA. I finally said to hell with it, I would rather die than be treated by these rejects from the U.S. Postal Service, and went the Tricare route.

This was back during the reign of O’Bama. Maybe things are better now. It doesn’t matter.

Just wanted to emphasize that vets/retirees using Tricare: if you are on Tricare Standard. They are very lenient with implants as long as the diagnosis code is correct. Medication refractory impotence of organic origin. The CPT code for the surgery is 54405 iirc.

Since my wife was hospitalized for pneumonia earlier this year, we hit our $3000 cap. So I’m getting my AMS LGX with no out of pocket costs.

There are, no doubt, some great VA Doctors. But it’s a crapshoot. Tricare Standard? Go to anyone you like as long as they take Tricare. Most of them do since it pays better than Medicare.

I hate not being able to use the VA. But I refuse to play games with power mad administrative flunkies who have agendas.

[oatmealkid]

Some VAH have attitude and some don't depending on who they hire.
In my case there are 2 VAH in range - one treats vets like human beings and the other is a snotball warehouse.
Normally I wouldn't go to the VA except in dire necessity, but one of the VAH is joined to a world-class university hospital, and wouldn't you know it's the snotball warehouse.
This place has an ER that always has 100 waiting and they seem to call one per hour.
Can anyone advise me on how to make an appointment to see a urologist rather than camp out in an ER.
Thanks for the replies.

[Lost Sheep]

Although I am a VA outpatient I get the snotball bureaucratic runaround when I ask about seeing a urologist for an implant.
"You have to go to the ER for that"
Will one of you who has successfully navigated the implant process with the VA please message me with advice on how to get this done?
Thanks

VietNamVet,
Each VA will different. The Maryland VA had Dr. Kramer doing implants and he would choose. The Washington State VA opts for AMS (Dr. Walsh used to, and now Dr Ostrowski). The Alaska VA authorized an outside surgeon to do mine, so either maker was available. Eventually I opted for a military surgeon (VA has cooperative agreements with other Federal Health Care facilities) who has deep experience with implants and he preferred the AMS.

Oatmealkid,
Get your primary care physician on board. He/She will be your most influential advocate. I spend a LONG time researching medical papers (even before finding Franktalk) and my PCP told me that I knew more about impotence and implants than he did. He took my information and clinical testimony to heart and as far as authorization is concerned, it was smooth sailing. Of course, I had a history of oral medications working and then failing, so I was able to make the case for skipping suppositories, injections and vacuum devices.

Referral to a urologist was easy - once I had my primary physician on my side. Lay that groundwork! As it was when you were in-service, take nothing for granted, do you homework and have your advance team (which consists of one member - YOU) prepare, make contacts and engage allies. I found my surgeon because I spoke to the VA's travel arranger (who at first was obstructive - I wanted to have the VA fly me across the country, but she said that was a no-go from the get-go). But I did not irritate her. Then one day, she told me that a urological surgeon had recently been assigned to Elmendorf AFB Hospital, and that he had TAUGHT the procedure. She didn't have to, but she helped me out in that way.

When you talk to folks. Take notes. Take down their names and every time you hang up, thank them by name, even if they were not helpful. The spent time with you and that is something to thank them for. And they remember. Get them on your side (or at least not oppositional). I am probably telling you stuff you already know, but it bears exposure for anyone who might read this thread.

Good luck.