To implant or not to implant?

[Stevareno]

Hello! I am a newbie here and would like to seek some advice.
This past month on Valentines Day, I had a prostatectomy. I had no symptoms and was caught by chance from my Dr. Before this came about, I was using injections for about the last three yrs. The injections worked wonderful and it helped me and my wife become closer than in the past. But now since I have had the surgery I am at a crossroads of what to do. I have heard of others talk about their prostate being removed and having difficulties getting an erection. Some say it took months if not a year of more in order to wake it back up. Some just gave up altogether.

I am 54 yrs old and me and my wife have so much sexual activity ahead of us. We're more active now than we were 25 yrs ago up until last month. Heck, we were doing it everyday for a week prior to the operation because we knew it may come to an abrupt stop. Which it did. I always thought it wouldn't be a problem since I can rely on the injections to work. However, I have tried an injection about three weeks after surgery. It got hard as usual and so I thought no problems, but it only lasted about five minutes before going completely away.

My doctor said that the insurance would pay for a implant. I am seriously thinking about having this done but a little scared to go through with it. No afraid of surgeries, just that once I have it done there is no going back to the way it use to be. I guess what I am wondering is should I wait it out and hope these injections would take me back to what it was like before or should I just go for it and have the implant done? I like the idea of having an erection for as long as you want but at the same time I don't want to get an implant and find it isn't the same size as it was before. Wife said she is not worried about the length but more girth would be good.

Just don't want to make any hasty decisions without input from others who have had it done and those who decided against it.

Wonderful site! So glad I found it.

[DonBecker54]

Have you asked your doctor if your lack of response to injections is a temporary condition? Is there another medication you can inject?

The implant is the final step. There's no going back. I wish I'd done this years and years ago (but choosing a different surgeon, of course). Being able to pump up a rock hard erection in less than two minutes and have it last for hours, days or even years is great.

But there's no going back.

[Stevareno]

I guess that would be a good question that I should have asked in the first place. Although I know some may have had no other choice but for those who use to do the injections and then went to an implant. Does anyone wish they could have stayed with the injections?
I like the idea of pumping it up for as long as you want. Just that if something goes wrong with it, your done until you can get it replaced. It is definitely a change in my life that I must really think hard (pardon the pun) about. But then again, I may have no other choice.

[DonBecker54]

It's rare for something to go wrong with the implant.

I stopped injecting for two reasons. One is that it was hit and miss. Even if I hit the proper spot with the needle, sometimes it didn't do anything. The other reason is that injections caused scar tissue, which gave me a 20 or so degree bend. Injections can do that.

[Stevareno]

Did you go with the implant because of the injections causing problems or did they just stop working?

[ED2013]

I developed scarring from injections as well. If injections no longer work, your only two options are pumping with a ring or an implant.

[Stevareno]

So you have no regrets? Do you wish you would have done it sooner?

[ED2013]

So you have no regrets? Do you wish you would have done it sooner?

I had severe venous leak so implant was the only solution. Yes I wish I would have done it sooner.
I have read several accounts on here about guys that had rp surgery. Most are told that in time, erections will come back. Most of the time they unfortunately do not.

[Xomanow]

Personally, I was very happy to dump the pills, the cock rings, the needles, the vials,...and the mental baggage of it all.....but my situation is different.....I'm single and that stuff just got in the way.....

I have heard that guys lose length after a prostatectomy....but I'm not an authority nor do I have 1st hand experience with that.....

My advice would be to use one of the two best in the world.....Eid or Kramer......you shouldn't lose any length with them and most probably gain girth.....

You can try and see if the injections come back into full force and if not, there's that final frontier.....

My opinion based on my experience,....you're 54....things most probably won't get better...get it.....especially if insurance covers it.....

One other point.....once you have the implant surgery, you can have any other surgery as it will not affect or be affected by the implant.....but if you need any other surgery, there is a chance that you may have to put off the implant surgery, and maybe for a long time.....

[cincinnatus1951]

Stevarino:
As others have said, liklihood of spontaneous or even drug assisted erections post prostaectomy is slim. you are young enogh I would give it six months during which you can experiment with the other therapies. AS has also been said they are a pain and do nothing to enhance the ambiance of making love. I would start researching surgeons and thinking about an implant. you can read my story by searching cincinnatus. There are many other well documented journeys. While, yes there are risks, everything in life is a risk and the vast majority feel they made the right decision. Yes, we felt we waited too long.
Cincinnatus