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46 M and I've had ED issues since I was a teenager, but they've gotten especially worse over the past 10 years. I'm often unable to get erect at all, both during sex with my wife and masturbation, and when I do, it's very short-lived. I've tried diet/lifestyle modifications/weight loss, medication, and even injections (I cannot handle the needles), I'm talking to a urology surgeon about getting an inflatable implant tomorrow.

I'm in the Pacific Northwest in Eastern Washington, so need to look around and find a few other surgeons in the region if I don't like this one. It looks like folks here at FT really like only two surgeons. Are other surgeons that are not those two really not as good?

Would love any thoughts/suggestions on what I need to be aware about when considering a penile implant, what are the best parts and the worst parts, and what questions I should make sure I ask the urologist. I plan on asking:

--What model/brand implant do they use? (Is there a specific one I should request?)
--How many procedures do they do a year?
--What kind of incision do they do (there's two different methods, right?)?

What questions am I missing?

Thanks in advance!

Good luck!Find someone who does 50-100!- year in my opinion and ask about a good one in your area on here.Chances are someone has used one up there and can recommend them to you!

smylie@gmail.com wrote:46 M and I've had ED issues since I was a teenager, but they've gotten especially worse over the past 10 years. I'm often unable to get erect at all, both during sex with my wife and masturbation, and when I do, it's very short-lived. I've tried diet/lifestyle modifications/weight loss, medication, and even injections (I cannot handle the needles), I'm talking to a urology surgeon about getting an inflatable implant tomorrow.

I'm in the Pacific Northwest in Eastern Washington, so need to look around and find a few other surgeons in the region if I don't like this one. It looks like folks here at FT really like only two surgeons. Are other surgeons that are not those two really not as good?

Would love any thoughts/suggestions on what I need to be aware about when considering a penile implant, what are the best parts and the worst parts, and what questions I should make sure I ask the urologist. I plan on asking:

--What model/brand implant do they use? (Is there a specific one I should request?)
--How many procedures do they do a year?
--What kind of incision do they do (there's two different methods, right?)?

What questions am I missing?

Thanks in advance!

Welcome to the site. There is a lot of reading you can do using the search function. Put your doctors name in and see what turns up. You can also do a web search on your doctor or go to Health Grades. You can put your doctors name in on health grades and check the reviews and see if there are any awards or papers published at the bottom of that page. You can also check your doctors experience with penile implants. If it is not listed or listed as may perform then I would be concerned. A rating of normal, high, or very high is what you are looking for.

2 questions I would ask are how long does the doctor have you wait after surgery to start cycling. This is called activation by some of us. A longer 6 or 8 weeks is the old norm and not what the very good doctors use. 3 weeks or less is the norm for the really good doctors. The second is does the doctor do revisions or repairs. If the doctor does not ask where he sends men to for this and that would be my next place to get an appointment. You can ask a lot of other questions. There are reasons to use one device over the other. Titan is much better to straighten curvature and for men with large size. The LGX is more comfortable and has softer flaccid. It would be nice to have a doctor that does both to advise the best device for you but a lot of times you can have either and the doctor will leave the choice to you. Might be a bit of difference in cost. As far as number per year of surgeries I am a bit lower for this. The study done on this had the top group at 31+ a year and the second highest group 8-31 did very well also out to 6 years then there was seperation. You really need to stay away from the ones that do less than 1 a month. If the doctor has trained in a no touch method this would be a plus. There are more than 2 surgical methods but the most common are penoscrotal and infrapubic. Penoscrotal is in the scrotum below the penis and is said to give the doctor better access. It is also said to be better for pump placement and the scar is mostly invisible after a year. Infrapubic is above the penis and is said to be better for reservoir placement. Some doctors make one and others 2 incisions. There is tubing above the penis in this method. The scar is more visible if you shave. And there is a nerve bundle to avoid but that really is not a problem with a good doctor.

For me though the length of time for activation and a doctor that does repair and revisions is the important questions.

Good luck.

I want to start by saying that you sound like you need an implant. You've had ED for a long time, and it's only getting worse.

You have some good ideas for questions, and the other guys have given you some ideas. I researched my doctor and found that he he authored or co-authored multiple articles about implant topics. That was very reassuring to me. I don't know about the thoughts on how long the doctor has you wait to start inflating and deflating. Mine had me wait eight weeks, and he's probably 10 years younger than me. But maybe he still has an old-school approach.

The best parts? I have a hard dick within a minute whenever I want, and it stays hard. I finally have the good sex with my wife that I've wanted for years. Overall, I have a much greater sense of peace, positive self-image, and confidence. And I am willing to genuinely flirt with other women now, just for fun.

The worst parts? The recovery was somewhat of a drag. But it was so minor compared to the payoff, and it's really faded when compared to how good the last year has been.

I hope this helps.