Most IPPs fail before 5 years

[sswinsfba]

I've read various claims online which state (w/o verification) that an implant can last anywhere from 5-20 years and the general consensus (again w/o verification) that they "should" last 10-15.

Looked for any studies about this and found this one, which reported that:

Long-term follow-up data after IPP placement showed that almost half of the devices still worked properly 20 years after the original penile implant, as 60% of patients were still using the device with high satisfaction and adequate QoL outcomes. Both patients and physicians should be aware of the expected life and outcomes of IPP implants. Chierigo F, Capogrosso P, Dehò, et al. Long-Term Follow-Up After Penile Prosthesis Implantation-Survival and Quality of Life Outcomes. J Sex Med 2019;16:1827-1833.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/315
See also: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/a ... 9519313591

So, at least based on this study and the OP's experience, while some implants may fail in 5 years, most apparently do not.

[Old Guy]

I have to disagree, "Most" implants do not fail in 5 years or less. Sure sounds like you've had a string of bad luck though.

Believe there was one fellow on here a while back said his implant was almost 20 years old and still working. And a couple that have been implanted for 10+ years.

Just read what you’ve written
“One guy”…”a couple lasted 10 years”

AND? That is only an example of men here, that I'm aware of. There are thousands of guys out there who are implanted and never say one word about it except to their partner. Unless there's proof of ALL implants failing at 5 years or less I totally disagree with this.
Revisions worry you? If you blew out a knee and doc fixed it but said you'd need a couple revisions over the years, are you not going to have the knee fixed? Wait until you're older? Sit in a wheelchair?

[FinallyBionic]

Failures happen for reasons. These implants are mechanical and are made to work for 10+ years. I am not sure why would issues that we see, where only a fraction of implantees are participating with discourage someone from going for an implant, while nothing else is working. If I was told that my implant will work for a maximum of 5 years, I will definitely go for it. Anyway, I will have working penis and enjoy as much as I can within these 5 years. The other option is isolating myself in a room and live lonely.

[Time2Change]

I've read various claims online which state (w/o verification) that an implant can last anywhere from 5-20 years and the general consensus (again w/o verification) that they "should" last 10-15.

Looked for any studies about this and found this one, which reported that:

Long-term follow-up data after IPP placement showed that almost half of the devices still worked properly 20 years after the original penile implant, as 60% of patients were still using the device with high satisfaction and adequate QoL outcomes. Both patients and physicians should be aware of the expected life and outcomes of IPP implants. Chierigo F, Capogrosso P, Dehò, et al. Long-Term Follow-Up After Penile Prosthesis Implantation-Survival and Quality of Life Outcomes. J Sex Med 2019;16:1827-1833.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/315
See also: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/a ... 9519313591

So, at least based on this study and the OP's experience, while some implants may fail in 5 years, most apparently do not.

I had my two-year follow-up appointment with my doctor in November, and this data is consistent with what he told me. I don't want to quote numbers because I didn't write them down, but I recall it was a strong majority of implants still working after 10 years.

He did say he thinks failures are more likely for younger men and men with bigger implants. That's a theory of his, not based on actual studies.

I am also interested to know what the original poster's doctors have given him for reasons for the failures.

[Gt1956]

I've read various claims online which state (w/o verification) that an implant can last anywhere from 5-20 years and the general consensus (again w/o verification) that they "should" last 10-15.
Looked for any studies about this and found this one, which reported that:
Long-term follow-up data after IPP placement showed that almost half of the devices still worked properly 20 years after the original penile implant, as 60% of patients were still using the device with high satisfaction and adequate QoL outcomes. Both patients and physicians should be aware of the expected life and outcomes of IPP implants. Chierigo F, Capogrosso P, Dehò, et al. Long-Term Follow-Up After Penile Prosthesis Implantation-Survival and Quality of Life Outcomes. J Sex Med 2019;16:1827-1833.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/315
See also: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/a ... 9519313591
So, at least based on this study and the OP's experience, while some implants may fail in 5 years, most apparently do not.

I had my two-year follow-up appointment with my doctor in November, and this data is consistent with what he told me. I don't want to quote numbers because I didn't write them down, but I recall it was a strong majority of implants still working after 10 years.
He did say he thinks failures are more likely for younger men and men with bigger implants. That's a theory of his, not based on actual studies.
I am also interested to know what the original poster's doctors have given him for reasons for the failures.

What to believe? I read the study that shows that over 90% last 15 years. But then there are people shouting that they only last 3-5 years based on a limited population that have had trouble. An actual study by professionals or social media voices. I'll place my bet with the pros.

[ScrewedbyDoctors]

"Medical Studies" are always biased, the truth is that nobody knows what is the average life expectancy of an implant, it can last one day or it can last a lifetime, everyone is different

[Gt1956]

"Medical Studies" are always biased, the truth is that nobody knows what is the average life expectancy of an implant, it can last one day or it can last a lifetime, everyone is different

Every roll of the dice is a new game. That is what "average" means. Lots of results are all lumped together to get an average. If you think that a professional study is/can be skewed? I challenge you to prove that stats plucked from a statistically small sampling on a social media platform is any more accurate. I can guarantee that my late father in law NEVER complained about his implant. Right up to the day he died with it.
Wait, you believe it is correct cause you have a predisposed distrust of the medical community. Your distrust might be justified in your case but there is no way to stretch that to cover all men or all medical outcomes. If your outlook was 100% correct? How do you explain the many happy implant owners on FT.

[Spontaneous1]

I have a friend on here who's implant just failed after 5 years (Coloplast), so think what you will, these companies are in it to make money, just like most of the doctors who install them! When was the ladt time you saw any drug company cure anything? They're not making money if they cure you, they figured that out a looong time ago! Once they get you on their "maintenance" drug plans you're a guaranteed customer for life. I truly believe that big pharmacy runs the country, and the FDA is in their back pocket. Look at the class-action lawsuits that have arisen from FDA approved drugs, do you really think they care about you? You can take this how you want, it's just my two cents, but just count how many new drugs are being pushed everyday, with new ones being added every week. I trust them as much as I trust CBS political polls!

[Rov999]

the problem is the material, today it is poor it is not like that of 20 years ago, today everything breaks earlier, negative reviews should be made to the companies that produce them but thousands and thousands of reviews would be needed

[FinallyBionic]

I do not believe this is an area where companies will make money out of revisions. Besides, there is a tough competition between the implant manufacturers, and every company is trying to have a higher share of the market. This cannot be reached if the products last less than announced. Also, the percentage of men who go for implants out of the number of men with ED is extremely low. Most of men around the world didn't hear about the implant and others don't even think this thing can provide a viable solution. Absence of "Word of mouth" also limits the spread of implants. Men would rarely tell others that they have an implant.
Adding: Implant failures happen with different parts. Sometime, the pump stops working, other parts like cylinders, tubing, lock-valve can also be cause. From what we see on this forum, surgeon-related failures are more than device-related ones.