Help - Questions about Penile Implant Revision Surgery
Posted: Sat Oct 28, 2017 7:39 am
This is my first post, but I’ve been reading FT since prior to deciding to get an implant more than a year ago. Thanks to all of the FT members for your always informative and often amusing posts.
QUESTION
To those who have had all components of your three-piece device swapped out for a new three-piece device, how did your revision surgery compare to your initial implant surgery? Was it as painful? Do you think it was worth having? How long did it take for you to recover enough to return to work? After the initial lengthening that you experienced when a larger device was installed, did you experience any additional lengthening over time?
REASON FOR MY SWITCH FROM AMS LGX TO COLOPLAST TITAN
After getting my AMS LGX late last year, my penis was curved and had a significant upward bend whenever I inflated the device. My implant surgeon said my penis would straighten and lengthen over time if I cycled the implant regularly. Actually, it did lengthen. It also straightened some, but not enough, so I’m having my LGX swapped for a Titan in a few weeks.
MY JOURNEY THROUGH ED
Three years ago, after having a radical prostatectomy to treat prostate cancer, my penis shrank significantly. Six months after that, I began trimix injections three or four times per month, which caused me to develop Peyronie’s disease (curve to right and slight hourglass shape). The extent of the bend and curve were not obvious when I had my implant surgery 18 months later, because my penis had shortened even more and became less thick when I started taking injections. Now, the hourglass shape is gone and my penis is more than 80% of its pre-prostatectomy length and girth. As a result, the curve and bend are far more pronounced now and make some sexual positions uncomfortable.
I’m looking forward to having the bend and curve repaired with a Coloplast device (and hope to achieve continued lengthening), but I need help determining how much time to take off of work after surgery. I have a desk job.
I think the surgeon who installed my initial implant may have underestimated the severity of my Peyronie’s disease when he opted to install an AMS LGX rather than a Coloplast device, because my penis was fairly short at the time of my implant surgery. Or he may have been motivated to use an AMS LGX to help me regain some of my lost length. Whatever his reasons, I have no qualms about what he did because I know my case wasn’t easy and I realize from reading this site and from watching Dr. Kramer’s videos that implant surgery is both a science and an art.
MY THOUGHTS ABOUT PENILE IMPLANTS
Despite needing a full replacement a year after my initial implant, I have no regrets. I think the revision will just help make good sex even better. At times, I do regret taking penile injections, though. The only good thing about them was that they allowed my wife and me to restore our sex life after PC surgery, which was really important; however, I had the lowest possible dosage of trimix and the injections either didn’t work or caused erections that lasted four or more hours and required Sudafed to reverse. I believe strongly that that is what caused my Peyronie’s disease. Oral ED drugs didn’t work for me and caused bloodshot eyes, hoarseness, and headaches that lasted days, so my implant has been a Godsend to my wife and me, even though the first one was imperfect.
One of the "big three" is doing my revision, but I don’t expect that implant to be perfect either, just better (likely with a few trade-offs). And that’ll be fine with me, because a firm yet imperfect erection beats no erection at all every day of the week in my book.
Cheers,
Tony
QUESTION
To those who have had all components of your three-piece device swapped out for a new three-piece device, how did your revision surgery compare to your initial implant surgery? Was it as painful? Do you think it was worth having? How long did it take for you to recover enough to return to work? After the initial lengthening that you experienced when a larger device was installed, did you experience any additional lengthening over time?
REASON FOR MY SWITCH FROM AMS LGX TO COLOPLAST TITAN
After getting my AMS LGX late last year, my penis was curved and had a significant upward bend whenever I inflated the device. My implant surgeon said my penis would straighten and lengthen over time if I cycled the implant regularly. Actually, it did lengthen. It also straightened some, but not enough, so I’m having my LGX swapped for a Titan in a few weeks.
MY JOURNEY THROUGH ED
Three years ago, after having a radical prostatectomy to treat prostate cancer, my penis shrank significantly. Six months after that, I began trimix injections three or four times per month, which caused me to develop Peyronie’s disease (curve to right and slight hourglass shape). The extent of the bend and curve were not obvious when I had my implant surgery 18 months later, because my penis had shortened even more and became less thick when I started taking injections. Now, the hourglass shape is gone and my penis is more than 80% of its pre-prostatectomy length and girth. As a result, the curve and bend are far more pronounced now and make some sexual positions uncomfortable.
I’m looking forward to having the bend and curve repaired with a Coloplast device (and hope to achieve continued lengthening), but I need help determining how much time to take off of work after surgery. I have a desk job.
I think the surgeon who installed my initial implant may have underestimated the severity of my Peyronie’s disease when he opted to install an AMS LGX rather than a Coloplast device, because my penis was fairly short at the time of my implant surgery. Or he may have been motivated to use an AMS LGX to help me regain some of my lost length. Whatever his reasons, I have no qualms about what he did because I know my case wasn’t easy and I realize from reading this site and from watching Dr. Kramer’s videos that implant surgery is both a science and an art.
MY THOUGHTS ABOUT PENILE IMPLANTS
Despite needing a full replacement a year after my initial implant, I have no regrets. I think the revision will just help make good sex even better. At times, I do regret taking penile injections, though. The only good thing about them was that they allowed my wife and me to restore our sex life after PC surgery, which was really important; however, I had the lowest possible dosage of trimix and the injections either didn’t work or caused erections that lasted four or more hours and required Sudafed to reverse. I believe strongly that that is what caused my Peyronie’s disease. Oral ED drugs didn’t work for me and caused bloodshot eyes, hoarseness, and headaches that lasted days, so my implant has been a Godsend to my wife and me, even though the first one was imperfect.
One of the "big three" is doing my revision, but I don’t expect that implant to be perfect either, just better (likely with a few trade-offs). And that’ll be fine with me, because a firm yet imperfect erection beats no erection at all every day of the week in my book.
Cheers,
Tony