How many implants can one have in a lifetime?

[Frenchie]

I see too many questions about implant lifespan but I am really curious to know if there is any chance of running out of implants before dying especially for young guys.
I plan on getting an implant at 30 years old. I know I'll probably need 5-6 revisions in my lifetime but this doesnt scare me if I need these revisions in 40 years lets say and they last average 8-10 years.
What scares me is if i need these revisions in 10-15years if things go really bad(I do not really have good luck in anything in life so far). I am afraid that will come a time that I will have to say goodbye at my sex life too soon because of multiple failures.
I have never seen a 70 year old guy here who has had an implant since he was so young.

Also I was curious for the malleable option if you have multiple failures of IPP. Do they really last a lifetime? Are they a good option for long time?

[Agfa13]

Frenchie, pls. fill out your signature block so we know a little bit about you.
As for your question, you are right. There are lots of factors involved in getting a revision, or because your implant has worn out.
In THEORY, implants (3-piece specifically), have a life span of 8-15 years, but that can vary.
There is a malleable implant that can last a lifetime. The reason it could is because a malleable is just 2 rods, nothing else. Lift up to use, put down to stow away. Not all malleables last a lifetime. Normal wear and tear comes to mind, but what does 'normal' mean, lol.

So, aside from the malleable I was just referencing, you can have roughly anywhere from 4-10 by MY calculation. They are improving, so you have to take that into account.

[2435tjklAS]

To add a question, do you pay about the same amount for them every time? Does insurance cover part of it (or all of it for some people) like they did at first?

[Txagq8]

I have never seen a 70 year old guy here who has had an implant since he was so young.

I’m 67. I went on injections in 1987 or 1988. There’s a reason I didn’t get an implant at age 30.

They didn’t have them. Yeah, there were some malleable rods in limited use. The 3 piece inflatable was on the drawing board.

If I could have had this 3 piece LGX installed 36 years ago, I would have. No question. But they were just new technology being developed back then. In fact, if I’m not mistaken, todays LGX is only 10 yrs old or do, having evolved from the AMS Ultrex which had some issues with reliability.

[Gt1956]

Frenchie, I know that this question is very important to you. I'll tell you what reading about 1/3 of the historical posts on FT has showed me. Nobody that I've read about has ever "ran out" of revisions. I think the max that I personally have read about was either 7 or 8.
Yes, that is correct. I have NEVER read of a man that couldn't get an implant. I will qualify that by saying that a skilled surgeon is very important. That is why the common advice on FT is to carefully chose your surgeon
Don't be afraid to travel out of your area if the local doctors lack qualifications. Ask those hard questions, its your penis he'll be cutting on.
Best of luck to you.

[Bwtbbb]

Dr Eid recommends limiting to 3 - 4 implants:

Question: Debate erupts on our forum that young men (we have a surprising number) should delay an implant because of the number of revisions likely to be needed. Beyond just infection which you addressed, Is there any other damage that limits the number of revisions a man can have? What do you consider a maximum number? In what way if any will a penis suffer or degrade with a maximum number of revisions (aesthetics, sensation, size, etc.)

Answer: A tough question to answer. Pressure atrophy of the flesh of the penis and glans will occur over time if the implant is maintained partially inflated. This also can occur if the cylinders are oversized. This, of course, is more likely to occur with the malleable implants. What’s great about an inflatable implant is that it can be deflated and maintained deflate in order to spare the remaining erectile tissue and penile glans. This is a more important issue for the younger patient than the number of surgeries that one has. Revision surgery is more challenging for the doctor to do and the risk of infection and urethral injury are also greater. I would say that it is preferable to limit the replacements to 3 to 4 surgeries in one’s lifetime, not always possible. However, it is also unreasonable to expect a man to perform penile self-injection forever; quality of life matters. An implant gives one a permanent reprieve from the constant thought of having Erectile Dysfunction! There is nothing like it.

https://www.peyroniesforum.net/index.ph ... #msg104289

[Gt1956]

Dr Eid recommends limiting to 3 - 4 implants:
Question: Debate erupts on our forum that young men (we have a surprising number) should delay an implant because of the number of revisions likely to be needed. Beyond just infection which you addressed, Is there any other damage that limits the number of revisions a man can have? What do you consider a maximum number? In what way if any will a penis suffer or degrade with a maximum number of revisions (aesthetics, sensation, size, etc.)
Answer: A tough question to answer. Pressure atrophy of the flesh of the penis and glans will occur over time if the implant is maintained partially inflated. This also can occur if the cylinders are oversized. This, of course, is more likely to occur with the malleable implants. What’s great about an inflatable implant is that it can be deflated and maintained deflate in order to spare the remaining erectile tissue and penile glans. This is a more important issue for the younger patient than the number of surgeries that one has. Revision surgery is more challenging for the doctor to do and the risk of infection and urethral injury are also greater. I would say that it is preferable to limit the replacements to 3 to 4 surgeries in one’s lifetime, not always possible. However, it is also unreasonable to expect a man to perform penile self-injection forever; quality of life matters. An implant gives one a permanent reprieve from the constant thought of having Erectile Dysfunction! There is nothing like it.
https://www.peyroniesforum.net/index.ph ... #msg104289

I have not read of that quote from Eid. I've read of several members that exceeded 4 implants. Although I'll agree that fewer surgeries would seem to be preferred.
I believe that Perito has said that wearing an implant continually inflated can lead to the reservoir having a "coffin" of scar tissue forming around it leading to the chance of not being able to deflate the implant.

[Lost Sheep]

Consider the question this way.

A 25 year old man unable to have sex faced with choosing to be able to have sex (with an implant) for 25 years and that's it. No reprieves.

Which to choose. Sex from the ages of 26 to 51 or sex from the ages of 51 to 76?

Put more succinctly, "Young sex or old sex"

Why wait?

Now, there may be reasons to wait. So consider if any of them apply to you.

[Daytripper]

Opinions will definitely vary on this, the younger you implant the more revision you'll likely need so I would exhaust all other avenues for treatments such as viagra, injections, etc before going the implant route because there is no going back once you make this choice and there are risk involved. At your young age 23-30yr old If you still have a functioning penis for sex be it with meds or injections what's your hurry to get an implant?

[strunza501]

Ive been a type 1 diabetic for 42 years. uncontrolled back then, made the huge mistake of getting a malleable implant at age 23. It was very painful and it failed in about 5 years from me being very active and from always bending the rods down because of horrible concealment issues. after these issues, i was horrified to get an inflatable because of once again pain from neuropathy. Now, this 33 year old malleable is severely damaged and im on medicaid insurance, i wish to just have it removed without re-implant, because I have lost all feeling in the penis area because of end stage diabetic neuropathy. I didnt have the world wide web back then for any research as like now. DO YOUR RESEARCH