Considering an implant and surgeon

[phillysub1]

Hi guys,

I've had Ed since my surgery for PC when I was 53 (I'm now 59). I have occasional "life" from my little guy, but very little. Sex life is basically non-existent, even though the wife is supportive. Tried the pills with minimal impact - but not for intercourse. Recently have been on injections, although they give me some fullness, I don't get hard. I know that I can "up" the strength of the medicine, but to be honest, it just feels so unnatural to have to go get a shot for sex. So now, I am considering an implant (which I never thought I'd do). However, after years of not felling like a man, I feel it's my last shot. I've been reading many of the experiences of others, and I understand there may be some pain after the surgery (with some guys there seems to be a LOT of pain). However, I think it may be worth for a mental piece of mind. My libido towards my wife is low, and I understand that the implant may not change that, but when you fell like you have hit rock-bottom, anything is worth trying. One of the questions that I have is what really separates a surgeon that does a lot of implants versus a surgeon who specializes in it? From what I have read and seen, the surgery is not extensive, so what differentiates it?

I would appreciate any feedback on this.

Thanks,
Phillysub1

(I got a lot of great advise from a site that I visited after my prostate surgery, hoping I get the same level of support for implants on this site)

[dg_moore]

Experience, skill, and a sure hand in sizing the cylinders correctly.

You might want to consult Bruce Garber in Philly, or (my doc) Andrew Kramer in Baltimore. Both are excellent and have good track records.

[kgandbg]

Your situation sounds familiar. After my prostate was removed, I tried it all - pills, injections, VED - none were satisfactory. I had a lot of apprehension about an implant, but once I made up my mind, I took four months to get in the best physical shape I could get in and used the VED every day for 60 days prior to surgery to try to get all the size I could.

I chose Dr. Douglas Milam at Vanderbilt to do my implant in June 2014, and I am completely satisfied. He does many kinds of uro-genital surgeries including about 100 penile implants per year. He is also known for handling difficult surgeries for men with Peyronies disease. As with any kind of surgery, it just makes sense that you get someone who has done a lot of them and has seen many different situations. I have read a lot of stories on this forum. Most are very positive, but you need to do your homework and put yourself in the hands of someone where your chances of success are greatest.

I urge you to go for it - it will likely be one of the most life changing medical decisions you ever make. I wish that I had done it sooner, and I am 68 years old. You likely have many more years left than me - enjoy them! A limp dick is not the best way to do that if you have any choice to do otherwise.

Best to you.

[KMeister]

Hi guys,

I've had Ed since my surgery for PC when I was 53 (I'm now 59). I have occasional "life" from my little guy, but very little. Sex life is basically non-existent, even though the wife is supportive. Tried the pills with minimal impact - but not for intercourse. Recently have been on injections, although they give me some fullness, I don't get hard. I know that I can "up" the strength of the medicine, but to be honest, it just feels so unnatural to have to go get a shot for sex. So now, I am considering an implant (which I never thought I'd do). However, after years of not felling like a man, I feel it's my last shot. I've been reading many of the experiences of others, and I understand there may be some pain after the surgery (with some guys there seems to be a LOT of pain). However, I think it may be worth for a mental piece of mind. My libido towards my wife is low, and I understand that the implant may not change that, but when you fell like you have hit rock-bottom, anything is worth trying. One of the questions that I have is what really separates a surgeon that does a lot of implants versus a surgeon who specializes in it? From what I have read and seen, the surgery is not extensive, so what differentiates it?

I would appreciate any feedback on this.

Thanks,
Phillysub1

(I got a lot of great advise from a site that I visited after my prostate surgery, hoping I get the same level of support for implants on this site)

Well, Philly, I recommend taking the plunge and having the operation. Yes, there are risks but any surgery involves risks. I did injections for a couple of years but had to up the dosage to keep getting erections and saw some curvature of my penis developing. If you're going to spend your own money then find one of those high volume specialist and hand over the 20-30 grand. If money is a consideration and you have health insurance then find the best uro within your plan. If you have no health insurance or your plan doesn't cover the operation I recommend Dr. Edward Karpman in Mountain View, CA (near San Francisco). He costs around 19 thou.

On a sidenote: You mentioned: "My libido towards my wife is low, and I understand that the implant may not change that..."

True, but make sure your affection toward your wife doesn't get low as well. If you're not making love to her during the daytime (telling her you love her, being considerate, complimenting her, etc.) it might be difficult to start making love to her at night. Just my two cents.

Best wishes,

KMeister

[MrMoJoeRisin]

Hey Philly,

If you are actually local to the Philly area, I recommend Dr. Bruce Garber. He did a fantastic job with my implant, turned my life completely around. He is a high volume surgeon who specializes in these procedures. And being local, no long distance travel or hotel stays.

Best of luck to you, feel free to message me with any questions.

Joe

[steve62]

I am 53 did not have problems till 2 years ago after 3 back surgery's tried all the other options with not much luck decided to have implant done after doc said i had nerve damage and meds were not Going to be much help so on 4/6/15 had AMS LGX so far so good

[woodturner]

phillsub1

Your situation is very similar to what my was. At 56 prostate cancer and after that total ED.
I tried Viagra, Levitra and Cialis. I did Bimix and Trimix shots. Trimix worked but it cause a lot of pain. I did Bimix with Viagra. I also even tried Bimix, Viagra and the VED (pump) all at the same time.

4-1/2 years after PC surgery I got the implant. I would have done it sooner had it not been for insurance.

During the intervening 4 years I did a LOT of research. The 2 key points I learned from it are:

--- The Surgeon makes 99.99% of the difference. The make and model of the implant, I recommend letting the surgeon pick it. He is the expert.
My criteria was that the doctor had to be doing a minimum of 100 implants per year. As surgeries go it may not be that much of a procedure but it does take real skill to properly size the implant. Your more experienced surgeons will aggressively size the implant without making it too big. If the tubes are too short you get what they call "Floppy Head". That is when the glands just drop to about the angle of the front end of the Concord SST.
My surgery took 2 hours. However, at least 1-1/2 hours of that was prep time. The actual cutting , implanting and stitching me back up took only about 20-30 minutes.
A significant part of that 2 hours was getting things set up to minimize the chance of infection. There is a method call the "No Touch" method that was developed by a Dr. Francois Eid in New York City. The purpose of this method is to minimize the chance of infection.
Your better surgeons know it and use it.

I did have a lot of pain. Especially the first 2 weeks. I also had a lot of swelling and bruising. In fact my scrotum swelled up larger than a grapefruit.


---Use the VED Daily. If the penis doesn't get the blood flow atrophy occurs. The atrophy does cause you to loose length and once it is gone, it is my understanding there is not getting it back.


Status 3-1/2 months after surgery

-All swelling and pain is gone.
-I have recovered all but 1/4" girth and 1/4" length. Those are measurements from using the VED which has a tendency to oversize you
-The implant functions better than my highest expectations. As a stunt I hung a full sized bath towel on my penis when it was fully inflated.
It held the towel up with no problem

If I had to do over I would do it without any hesitation at all.

My implant is a Coloplast Titan. Because of size, it is what the surgeon recommended.

My surgeon was Dr. Aaron Lentz at Duke Hospital Raleigh, NC

[jerrywayne]

Do it was the best thing I did for my ed ,delt with for years then had robtic got implanted and I am happy with very much so but give it a little time pain there but not that bad ,and you have to learn how to use but won't take long, I get hard any tome I want ans can stya that way as long as I want.been three years ,don't waste your time like I did do it I have AMS700LGX it is great.

[billylee]

Ditto of others. I will had tha. IMO, IPP will insane your libido. I was always a pretty horny guy, but ED took from that somewhat. IPP seemed to make me horned than before. I believe it is because I am so confident in what I can now do, and do, and do. Also, it seems that the pumping up every day adds a strong desire, maybe it is just the seeing/feeling what I now have. Great feeling, pick you a surgeon you trust and go for it. I am so glad I did. Believe in what your surgeon suggests and do exactly what HE says, Pre & post surgery. Good luck. B

[Geezer6]

It sounds as if you may actually have two issues. Your loss of libido may be caused by low levels of testosterone. This is something that can be easily checked by your physician with a simple blood test. If you do have low testosterone it can be treated by rub on gels, injections, or simple implants. All seem to work fairly well and together with increasing your libido they tend to improve your over all well being,

As to implant surgery I think that you will find that the consensus here is that we all had similar experiences leading up to the decision to go ahead with the implant. And I think that virtually all of us would agree that our only regret is that we did not have the operation far earlier.

The most crucial part of your decision is to choose a surgeon who does lots of these procedures every year. You want a doctor who is very familiar with the surgery and who works with an operating room team who do it often enough that it is second nature. Others have mentioned Dr. Garber who is well known in this area of medicine. I was operated on by Dr. Andrew Kramer in Baltimore and he has the highest possible recommendation.

Don't be too concerned about the amount of pain involved. I won't tell you that it is a painless procedure because obviously it is not. But, at least in my case, the first day was very uncomfortable, but after that I was able to manage the pain with nothing but Tylenol. You will spend several days with some considerable discomfort, but it is bearable. After that it just gets better.

Get a comfortable jock strap in advance. I suggest the use of female sanitary napkins inside the jock both for support and because you will find that you will have an issue with urine leakage. A major part of the leakage problem is that the implant tends to allow the urethra (the tube you pee through) to remain inflated and fill of urine when you finish instead of collapsing and draining all the urine as it would do naturally. Once you get a little further along in the healing process, and learn to deal with that last little bit of urine in the urethra, you won't need either the jock or the napkins.

When you doctor clears you for full inflation and use of the implant your life will change dramatically. You will not have the dick, or the libido, of an eighteen year old, but you will once again be able to enjoy sex whenever you want it. It allows a renewed sense of intimacy with your wife and it will give you a new sense of security in your manliness. Sex is not everything in life, but it is pretty damn important. When it has been missing for an extended period of time, for whatever reason, it is wonderful to regain the ability to have it become a regular part of your life again.