FrankTalk.org

All,

I have dealt with ED since early 2012 and spent most of 2013 running through all the oral meds. Toward the end of summer a new Dr put me on injection therapy which with the obvious cons does provide results I never saw on the pills . I crossed over into the implant forums to educate myself & get to know a few of you here who have hands on experience with this treatment. It seems many members here are taking the plunge & going bionic. For me , aside from managed BP I have no definable reasons for ED & experience awesome night erections /morning wood virtually daily yet no day arousal & no erection when attempting intimacy. Even masturbation is hit n miss so I know its not just stress. So I'm only 53 , youthful & active , seems like the implant has so much going for it yet I think about the positive functions mentioned above I still have & that implants at least for some diminish length ( injections work to give me full gland enlargement I observe, unlike some members).

If it were reversible Id have no reservations but I watched scores of implant vids & see exactly why there is no going back. Lastly it seems no 2 men have exact experiences or perceptions of their implants and I want to have realistic expectations & be utterly delighted if I made such a leap . I have attempted to research new treatments for ED , thinking it would suck to implant just prior to a break through treatment but all I found was there is only a few new orals coming , no big implant designs ( at least disclosed publicly) and nothing like nitric oxide shots coming anytime soon ( Priapus interesting but unproven & $$$$$). Anyway thanks for listening to my concerns & feel free to weigh in if you have similar thoughts

Trucxrule

At 53, you have many years of injections ahead of you which could very well damage your penis over time. Could get scarring fibrosis which would complicate eventual implant surgery.

My uro doc had me on trimix injections for 18 months. They worked for 16 months, then stopped working. My doc told me he has seen this many times. He said the injections are acidic so they eventually cause ED rather than getting rid of it. He did not say anything about the injections causing problems that would preclude an implant from working.

IMO, you are facing an apples and oranges type decision:
1. Injections work but they are a bit of a nuisance to deal with. And there is a cost involved.

2. Implants work well but there is a small (less than 2%) chance of an infection during the surgery and if that happened it takes some extra surgery work to fix. Plus the implant surgery involves the pain and recovery period. Assume the recovery period is at least 4 to 12 weeks before you will be recovered enough for sex. The cost depends on what your insurance plan will cover so may be more or less than the cost of future injections.

If I were you, I would stay with the injections as long as they work. But that is only my suggestion based on how I weigh the above issues. You might have a different conclusion, based on our likes and dislikes.

Dave

When researching the success rate for each option to treat ED, it is clear that the implant
is the best one for "mind and body" with very high satisfaction ratings.

Recovery time from surgery is individual but in my case never any major pain, even
right after surgery. Full inflate after one week also without any pain.

WOLF

Gentlemen,

Thank you for weighing in. I admit the thought of possible fibrosis / peyronnie's / scarring- has crossed my mind and how it affects future implant success. I currently have United Healthcare which won't pay for any "lifestyle" medicines but WILL pay for any type of implant that " returns functionality " to the body. I'm not certain if cause must be established before approval & I hear rumors major insuror's may drop this coverage ( no doubt because demand for implants is rising ). Another thing is the confidence factor . I'd like to have absolute knowledge that at a seconds notice I can have a great erection ready to go. Time spent in support forums has shown me that while wives/long term partner's will surely support men with ED it is very difficult to start new relationships with it. No disclosure & she will learn soon enough and leave & if you for warn a new partner many just bail. Younger women have little to no experience with it & older ladies who went through it with former partners don't want it again.
I'm not with anyone & this would be an excellent time to go for it & lay out & heal on the down low.

For my part, this implant completely cured my ED. I hated injections when I tried them. One of the major differences between injections and implants is the ability to be spontaneous. Injections take at least some pre planning where implants do not. I am dealing with an emotional piece now with my wife, but the implant was a complete success. My insurance covered it 100% and I have no regrets. Take care