Implant still works but bulb has stopped refilling

[Huffy1]

I got an implant close to 2 years ago, and it's been phenomenal. I'm currently in an 8 month relationship, and sex has been great. However, about 2 months ago, the bulb started to work differently. When I pump now to the point of being hard, the bulb eventually remains in the squeezed-in state, and doesn't refill with fluid. As this has always happened at the point of hardness, I am not panicked. But I am concerned. Has anyone had a similar experience, or know why the implant is functioning differently? Thanks in advance.

[williamb]

I am not an implant expert but my life work has been with pumps and moving fluid. My guess would be that you have stretched your penis volume ( girth and length) enough that you are using all of the fluid available for inflation or there is a leak in the system. I would talk to a Dr. that is very familiar with the mechanics of the implant or I would find someone with the manufacturer that is an "expert", either design engineer or knows about the operation intimately . or someone besides a sales rep because I was one in the past.

[psyched123]

I was implanted last November and have exactly the same experience with my pump (AMS CX700; MS pump). It pumps until really hard and then remains flat. Because it pumps fine 'till hard, I have enjoyed it's performance and am happy. However, since stopping by becoming flat isn't normal, I'm concerned about the long term. I don't think there could be a leak, because there is no change in the number of pumps and this has been going on for months. I think a leak would rather quickly lose the needed fluid.

I was at my urologist last week for my final appointment and he was confused about why it went flat when the reservoir has 100 ml. In fact, he has scheduled me to have an MRI fully pumped up to see if he can see an issue.

I feel that there is something in the mechanics of such a pump that closes after a high amount of pressure and does not let it draw fluid and re-expand. Because the high pressure required for it to close off results in a very hard erection, I can't justify going under the knife, again, just to get the pump to expand normally. For it's purpose (hard erection), it works!! It is so hard that I can't see that I'd be pumping any more anyway.

After my surgeon sees the MRI, I'll come back and share his assessment.

Have you asked your doctor about this?

[JerGeezer]

What you describe is exactly what happened with my second implant back in '99 because the doctor had put in the smaller reservoir. It was okay at first, but after the cylinders had expanded a bit the reservoir was no longer able to provide enough fluid to completely enlarge them. He replaced it with the larger one and everything worked perfectly for about fourteen years.

[alibaba]

Mine did that last night for the first time. at pump number 54 it went flat and would not refill. I too assume the reservoir is empty. There appears to be room for more fluid in the penis, but nothing to pump. I have no idea how much saline was put in the reservoir. No-one at Vanderbilt recorded how much fluid was put in as far as I can learn. I am told it is "the fault of the surgical staff that none of this type information was recorded". Every other surgical record I have has the count on tools and the name of every person present in the room, times of each stage of surgery, listing of every item used. You cannot tell me they flat fee whatever is needed. They have to itemize bill it for the insurance so something gets recorded.

[psyched123]

In my case, the surgeon doesn't believe that it is running out of fluid. The surgical notes say that the reservoir was filled with 120 ml and backed down to 100ml. So, there is plenty of fluid. That's why he's requesting an MRI with the implant fully inflated. As I posted, it seems that only when mine reaches a high pressure that it stops receiving fluid and flattens.

Could this be something that occasionally happens with AMS MS pumps?

[alibaba]

I do not know but my internist told me tonight while we were visiting if I cannot get answers that he will write me orders for some scans to try to sort it out. He has had so many patients, he said tonight, that have had implant problems and had to have them redone he is curious what the hell is going on. He said he can think of at least 7 doctors who have worked on his patients and mine would make an 8th. All of us were done by professors at teaching university hospitals in 4 different states. He has patients who have had anywhere from 2 to 5 implants. I asked what kind and he said he had no idea. 2 had infections on revisions and both had rods for a while to get over that. One had erosion and had to have rods while healing from that. There is a limit to how much information we can discuss about other experience due to privacy laws and those laws should be honored in respect to the patients.

I still feel there is a spot in my bulb that is delaminating. That spot feels like it makes bubbles between 2 layers. A bubble withing the wall of the bulb, then when the bulb goes flat the small spot will go flat. It only happens maybe 1 or 2 times out of 150 pumps. I asked about it the other day and had a message when I got in. It is a two layer material with an additional anti wear layer in between so it is possible it is when it feels like there are several layers coming apart.

[Huffy1]

Thanks, I have Dr. Kramer, I am going to try to see him in the next few weeks. I have an AMS. This issues hasn't hurt my sex life, but it isn't ideal - I feel like I could pump more if the bulb didn't go flat. Regardless, I'm fine with the status quo as long as they're isn't a mechanical basis. I'll post an update after my appointment, and I appreciate all anyone else's feedback.

[psyched123]

I went in for a four month follow up three weeks ago to Dr. Morey in Dallas. Because Dr. Morey is a urology professor, I always get most of my visit with a resident in training. Only a very brief visit with Morey. The resident was concerned that with 100 ml of fluid (or so it said in the surgical notes) that the bulb would go flat when pumped up. When Dr. Morey came in, he is brief, impatient and probably embarrassed about a potential mess up. He left quickly without much comment on it.

The resident put in a request for an MRI to see why the bulb ran out of fluid when it should have plenty after pumping. I was told to arrange an MRI locally which I did. Then, the day before my MRI, I got a call that Dr. Morey had not initiated or approved of the MRI and it was cancelled. The MRI Center set another appointment a week later to give him time to file the request. I got a call from the MRI center that Morey has never responded to them or the insurance company on the request and they are cancelling the MRI. Morey's nurse, Mary West, was terse and abrupt when I emailed her about it saying that they will get to it. After 3 weeks with no action at all, it's obvious that they won't. My read is, of course, that Morey doesn't want it.

So far, I can pump until hard. So, I'm not too concerned at this point. However, if the reason that there is not enough fluid is because there is a leak, I guess eventually it will not work anymore.

My experience with Dr. Morey was very positive initially: when they were convincing me to use them for my transplant. However, since the operation, there has been almost a concerted effort to provide as little assistance and followup as possible. The sense is that they are just way too busy for you now to talk, help, or even find out if there is a problem. So... use him at your own risk. This is your heads-up. It had better go great out of the box or your cooked.

Because I have exactly the same issue as others with an AMS implant on this thread and my doctor won't look into it, I would be grateful of any info on this issue from others here who find out what is going on.

[strongagain]

I'm glad that I have a Titan.