My Journal

[newbie443]

Hi

Thanks to all who want to provide input.

Yes - I do agree, these implants don't really last as long as you could expect. We read of several failures here after only a few years. And yes, this forum is most likely over-representated of people having issues with their implants, but anyway.

Cnidium - I hope your revision goes well. As for your information about your pump only working with one hand and not the other - interesting.

Status update
I do feel like there is a difference for me since this issue popped up in which angle I hold the pump. And definitely there is a difference in how hard I pump. Once I reach roughly 50% of full inflation, the small slow pumps do nothing anymore. I need to press fast and hard to get anything. And I need the pump to make a noise to transfer any fluid. No noise, no effect.
I have also noticed that if I keep inflating from 0 to 100% without any break, it normally works.
However, if I e.g. first give it 5-10 pumps to leave a semi in my pants, then another 20 pumps before sex to get it to "foreplay level", and then top it up with another 15 or whatever pumps to reach penetration level - things are more likely to fail. Once I restart, either when going from "pants level" to "foreplay level", or from "foreplay level" to "penetration level", this dry pumping is more likely to happen.
Which I interpret as that there is something with the valve controlling when the pump is in inflation mode or not.
Maybe someone with a better understanding of the technicalities of the pump/valve can come up with a qualified guess based on this fact: Doing all 50 pumps in one go works better than taking long breaks and restart. After restart, the "dry pumping" happens more often.
I still don't notice any less hardness in my maximum inflation. So if there is saline leaking, that leak must be very, very tiny and slow.
My (layman's) guess is still that there is no leak of saline, but rather a malfunctioning valve which for some reason drops out of "inflation mode" once in a while.

I also talked to Eid.
He agreed that I should wait till it completely fails before going for revision. Which he said could take a few days or a year.
What I am a bit worried about is that the valve will fail when I am fully inflated, and that I can't deflate... So far there is nothing wrong as far as I can tell with the deflate function. But what a f-ing nightmare if I am fully inflated and can't deflate. I cannot wear any clothes with full inflation. Would probably need to go naked with a robe or something to the emergency... And then what? Don't even want to think about it. But I never heard of that happening to anyone.

Tangerine - thanks, and good to hear from you. Yes, the revision is easier than the first surgery. Infection risk twice as large though, but what the heck, there is no other option. If it fails, we need to suck it up and get it fixed.
In Eid's case, I think his virgin implant inflation risk is 0.5%, and for revisions it is 1%.
Still, with a failure rate of every 7-10 years, and if I am going to need 4 revisions including this one, even with Eid's phenomenal statistics the accumulated risk adds up to a total of 4.4% to get infected over the first surgery plus 4 revisions. However, with the average local hacker, who has let's say a virgin implant infection risk of 2%, and 4% for each revision, then the same risk would be a crazy 17%.
So picking a great doc still seems like good advice...

Have you contacted your device rep.? I contacted one when I was having trouble right after activation and my doctor who was well known and considered knowledgeable told he had no idea what to do. The AMS rep gave me a fix to reset the pump. Worth a shot and to get the problem on record with them I would think.

[merrix]

I got a question about what kind of physical exercise I have been doing, and if there is any type of exercise I have not been able to do after implant.

As I have stated before, my main physical exercise have been lifting weights and playing tennis. So it was before implant and so it kept being afterwards. Even though most of the tennis have been swapped for Padel nowadays. Not because of my implant, but rather my knees.
Weightlifting can mean a lot of things - pink 10 lbs dumbells or a fully loaded bar curving during a deadlift.
For me it means basic compound exercises with weights heavy enough to only be able to do 3-8 reps.
My go-to program was as simple as one routine of Deadlifts, Weighted Chins, Weighted Dips and another routine of Squats, Standing presses and Bent-over Barbell Rows. All for 5x5 with the heaviest weight possible. Except for squats where I simply felt my knees needed a bit lower weight, and I used to stay in the 10-15 rep range.
Just two routines, 6 exercises all in all, but it gave me great results. Getting 2-3 workouts in per week with the highest intensity possible.
Weights I used might be completely uninteresting to some, but for myself, if someone would write on here about working out after implant, I'd like to know if it is 500 lbs squats referred to or if it is 40 lbs leg extensions. For some it matters.
So in my case, deadlifts were 180 kg (400 lbs), squats were 135 kg (300 lbs), Chins body weight 95 kg + 35 kg (211 lbs + 78 lbs), Dips same weights as Chins, Standing presses 65 kg (145 lbs), Barbell bentover rows 100 kg (222 lbs).

Warmup weights for some, but heavy enough to answer a question whether heavy lifting can be done with an implant.

As for the question asked (by someone who by the way pushes heavier weights around than I do), he also wanted to know what I could/couldn't do in terms of cardio. Running, swimming, cycling etc.

So, as for the lifting, none of the above exercises gave me any issues once healed. It took me some time before I was comfortable lifting those weights for deads and squats. Don't really remember, but I'd say around 3 months. And the deads took the longest to feel right. I just felt a pressure in my belly. Guess it was the reservoir not completely settled in, and being pushed around from the intra-abdominal pressure those type of exercises create and require.
For the first few weeks, I didn't lift anything at all. And then a month or so only doing machines with light weights and very high reps. Nothing with heavy weights, and nothing standing up. Just sitting, lying down etc.
It was tough to not lift heavy weights for 2-3 months, as always we think all our muscles will go up in smoke and we will turn into a meatball with 4 toothpicks in it within a month out of the gym.
That doesn't happen. In my case, it took me a few months after resuming training till I hit new PRs in several exercises. A proper recovery period can do wonders sometimes. Plus a couple of months of doing 25 reps of super strict sitting dumbell side laterals instead of standing presses for 5 reps can actually be a very good way to mix things up and maybe even get something out of it.

Getting implanted is a major surgery, and we don't want to risk anything by starting to lift too heavy too soon. Don't be silly, raise the view above the day-to-day urge to go and work out. Get the priorities right. Take care of the recovery from the surgery first. Don't do anything stupid. Fucking your implant and dick up, or waiting another two weeks to hit those deads?

As for cardio, I was never a big fan of endurance training. Say swimming, jogging, cycling, cross-country skiing - and I will close my ears. What I did was playing tennis a few times per week. I also do some cardio-machines interval training. Rowing machine or stationary bike - but then it's 60 seconds of all-out effort, 60 seconds rest, and repeated till I fall off the seat. Or just some 4 minutes all-out Tabata. Can leave any athlete gasping for air flat out on the floor.

The problem with the rowing machine during early days is mostly the forward position - where the knees hit the chest. Sort of the same thing as a squat, minus the weight. But still wasn't comfortable the first weeks.
Stationary bike, problem was sitting at a firm seat.
I don't think there is any general rule for when to start doing those types of exercises. Just listen to your body.

As for running, I don't really do it much of it as I said. But for sure, running will not be a problem at all. Just give it the time it needs right after surgery, and then you should be able to run just like in the past. Same for swimming.

So all in all, I can do whatever I did before surgery. Just listen to your body to know when to resume and how quickly to get back to full intensity.

The only sports I'd be a bit careful with are contact sports. MMA, Kickboxing, etc. But also football, hockey, soccer, rugby, etc. Not saying it's not doable, I am sure there are people who do those sports and not having had any negative impact. I just say I'd consider thoroughly whether I'd think it was worth the risk. I played both Ice Hockey and Soccer when I was younger, and I although it didn't happen often, but it does actually happen that you get hit by something in your crotch. And I just wouldn't want that to happen with an implant. But that's me. I'm too old for those sports anyway. Knees not up for it anymore. If I was 25 and soccer was my life, I am sure I would find a way and not listen to advice from 40+ people on FT...

[Fourtytwo00]

Hi Merrix. Did you find a way to manage your issues after talking to Eid or are you waiting for revision? How is going?

[merrix]

Hi Merrix. Did you find a way to manage your issues after talking to Eid or are you waiting for revision? How is going?

Yes, I was going to post an update on this, so here it comes.
Strange. I described in detail above how my pump sometimes stopped transferring saline to my dick, and I had to deflate and inflate again for further inflation. Most of the time this happened when I took "a break" in the pumping. Why would I do that? Well, I do that quite often. Not taking a break per se, but rather inflating in several stages. Maybe first 10 pumps a couple of hours before sex, just keeping a nice semi in my pants. Then another 20-30 pumps before going to bed to reach some kind of "foreplay level". Then another 10 before penetration. Finally another 10 before finishing off. Just as an expample.
And what happened a few times was that when I started to inflate after one of those "breaks", nothing would happen. Just dry pumps.
I thought it was doomed to fail, just a matter of time.

But this hasn't happened now for several weeks. Very strange. No explanation I can think of.
I still think this is a bad sign, and I am prepared for it to fail completely any time. But for now it works as it should. Maybe even better, since the noise it makes during inflation has almost disappeared, or at least been significantly reduced.

[TANGERINE]

well WOW....thrilled for you. ! ......things seem ok.

I have been thinking about you and am happy to hear things have reverted to normal.

You did mention at one point the following:

What I am a bit worried about is that the valve will fail when I am fully inflated, and that I can't deflate... So far there is nothing wrong as far as I can tell with the deflate function. But what a f-ing nightmare if I am fully inflated and can't deflate. ......But I never heard of that happening to anyone.

like you, being on frank talk for over five years, I have never heard of anyone not being able to deflate because of a valve problem....so hopefully "deflate failure" is just not a thing to worry about (certainly, some early users have not been able to deflate, but those situations have been "pilot error" rather than "equipment problem")

[the rock man]

I had my Ams 700 implanted in 2018: My pump has had issues for the past year and now is no longer inflating. I plan to do a total replacement to the AMS 700 LGX . Although I am disappointed for needing another surgery / implant . I am motivated to get past this depressing state.. I am a little worried about the higher risk of infection
Looking for feedback from those who have had a total replacement.

[Craigohbig]

I’m beginning to think that the failure rates are much higher than we’re being told

[frank66665]

I’m beginning to think that the failure rates are much higher than we’re being told

Craigohbig when you implanted

[Craigohbig]

I’m beginning to think that the failure rates are much higher than we’re being told

Craigohbig when you implanted

One year ago yesterday…failed after 363 days

[merrix]

As I wrote above, I have noticed some issues with my pump.
It basically stops transferring fluid and pressing the bulb fully just does nothing in terms of getting harder.
This happened a few times during a few weeks.
Then stopped and I didn't experience the problem for a few weeks.

Yesterday it happened again though.
I came to what I use to call the "BJ level". At that point I still have many pumps to go to reach what I normally use for penetrative sex.
As before, I could get past that level by fiddling around. E.g. by making a few more explosive full pumps, or by pressing the deflate valve and then suddenly start pumping again.

But at this stage I am 100% sure my implant will fail sooner than later. This problem is not going to go away by itself, and it is only going to get worse.
My only question now is if I book the revision already now, I think Eid has a couple of months of queue, or if I just wait till it fails. And then live without sex for the two months of waiting time plus another couple of weeks after the surgery...

I am two weeks shy of seven years. Not what I was hoping for, but nothing to be upset about either. Seven years is within the normal range I guess, especially if you use your implant quite frequently.