Swelling 5 weeks post-op

[bowdre]

This forum has been extremely helpful to me as I considered whether to go ahead with my implant and with issues post-op. I have learned a lot, and I thank all of you for your help.

I am 5 weeks post=op. I have a Titan OTR. My doc is Neil Baum from New Orleans. I am very satisfied with him. I do wish, however, that I have more information with what I am experiencing.

Much of the pain is gone and all of the discoloration is gone, but I continue to have swelling, mostly in one side of my penis (left). The right side appears normal. Also, the left cylinder is more pronounced than the right. There is a bit more pain/discomfort in the left side.

Otherwise, except for increased pain when I inflate for more than a few moments. I believe that I am doing fine.

I wonder if any of you have experienced anything similar to my symptoms. I surely would appreciate hearing from you.

Again, thanks for all your help.

Bowdre

[Bionic_by_AMS]

but I continue to have swelling, mostly in one side of my penis (left). The right side appears normal. Also, the left cylinder is more pronounced than the right. There is a bit more pain/discomfort in the left side.

Sounds like you may have some scar tissue/plaque on the left side? ... that is painful when stretched ...

Please explain "left cylinder is more pronounced" ...

As for the pain ... try takes a few Ibprofin prior to inflating ... inflate just a few pumps, wait then pump again. Do not pump until painful ... rather pump until slightly uncomfortable ... and proceed. At 5 weeks it certainly will be painful when max pumped.

[bowdre]

By "pronounced" I mean that i can more easily feel the edges of the cylinder. It is though it is not as much assimilated with the penis. Although I can detect where the right cylinder is, the edges do not stick out as much. (I hope that this explanation is not as clear as mud).

If the swelling is due to scar tissue/placque, is this something that I can expect to resolve?

Thanks for your help.

[knotreel]

I think that you would be concerned as 5 weeks most of the sweeling should be gone, then of course I am not a doctor. You could inflate several times a day to the point of tolerable pain and try working up to longer and more compete inflations. BUT, first I would see the doc and get his recomendation. If it is scar tissue that was existing pre op he would have mentioned this, maybe. If it is scar tissue that has formed post op and he clears you to inflate, then you will just have to strech it out even thought it is painfull and the longer you wait to strat the harder it will be. I think we pretty much all had pain as we first began to do our inflation exercises but swelling at 5 weeks doesn't seem right to me. You should be at the point, mine was 6 weeks, where you get the go-a-head to start inflating as much as you can, so when is this appointment going tobe?

[buckshot]

At 6 weeks post-op I have no swelling or bruising....my next appointment with my surgeon is on 9/26 and , at that time, he will give me the go-ahead to begin the inflate/deflate process. I have been partially inflated since the surgery. In,fact, I'm feeling pretty darn good and just really ready to start using this new and improved wife-pleaser apparatus!!! Just hang in there and know that it's going to get better and you'll have years and years of pleasure from it............JOE

[Bionic_by_AMS]

By "pronounced" I mean that i can more easily feel the edges of the cylinder. It is though it is not as much assimilated with the penis. Although I can detect where the right cylinder is, the edges do not stick out as much.

Now I'm not a doctor, nor do I play one on the Internet ... but it sounds to me like when the URO created the "tunnel" to insert the cylinder ... that there may be scar tissue in one area. The "tunnel" may be off-center slightly due to the scar tissue.

If the swelling is due to scar tissue/placque, is this something that I can expect to resolve?

The swelling should go down over time ... Ibprofin is good for that too ... continue with pumping daily. Pump a few times ... rub the affected area, then pump again and repeat as needed.

Are you scheduled to see your URO again? ... if not at least contact them and ask about your issue (if the swelling continues)

[bowdre]

Thanks for all your replies.

Actually, I did meet with my URO earlier in the week, about my concerns. He indicated that there was nothing to worry about. I did not ask him specifically about scar tissue/placque, but I assume that if he thought that was present he would have mentioned it. For some years before the implant I was injecting. I know that that can cause scar tissue, but what else would case this? I am scheduled to meet with him again in about 10 days.

I am pumping 2 times/day. I am more and more comfortable with this process.

This is certainly a brand new experience.

Thanks again.

[knotreel]

Good to hear that the uro is ok with things. We all seem to be given different instruction after doc release about how ofter and how long to inflate. I my case I was told to work up to an hour inflated time per day with as much inflation as I could stand without lots of pain. This worked well for me and within a month there was lots of progress. I found as many others have that until you get it streched, it is not going to be usable on a comfortable basis. For me it took about 6 months to be totally comfortable. I am now about 21 months implant with AMS700 LGX.

[bowdre]

Thanks to everyone for your helpful comments. I guess everyone's experience is somewhat different. Some of you guys were pain free after a short period of time, and others have extended discomfort several weeks later. As I write this, I am almost 7 weeks post-op. I still have pain and swelling on the left side, but (hopefully) increasingly less as time goes on. Actually, I think that the swelling in part may be due to a leakage between the reservoir and the left cylinder. When I engage the release and squeeze I can reduce the swelling. Have any of you had this experience?

[Bionic_by_AMS]

Actually, I think that the swelling in part may be due to a leakage between the reservoir and the left cylinder.

There should be no "leakage" into the left cylinder, since there is only one piece of tubing between the reservoir and the pump. Then the fluid is routed from the pump to each cylinder. A lock-out valve is built in to prevent leakage.

When I engage the release and squeeze I can reduce the swelling.

If that reduces the swelling ... then it sounds like you need to do that each time you deflate. Many of us have to press the release button more than once (and manually squeeze the penis) to completely drain the fluid.