Postby HealingJourney » Sun Mar 09, 2025 12:26 pm
Hello everyone,
First of all, I want to thank you for taking the time and patience to read my very long post and for responding. It truly means a lot to me, and your support is invaluable. I’ve decided to keep you updated whenever there are new developments, both to receive your support and to help someone in the future who might find themselves in my situation.
Some people have asked whether I have Peyronie’s disease. Honestly, I don’t know. My penis has a slight curvature to the right, but I don’t experience any pain or discomfort when erect. The only discomfort I have is due to a short frenulum and tight foreskin, but this will be resolved with circumcision. I’d like to believe that if I had Peyronie’s, my andrologist would have pointed it out—at least, I hope so.
Regarding my search for a skilled surgeon, my first choice was Gabriele Antonini. I’ve read testimonials from people who were operated on by him and had good experiences. He is also one of the few in Europe who performs a minimally invasive 15-minute procedure to implant a penile prosthesis (there’s even a video of the surgery on his website). What holds me back is that he operates in Rome. It’s not so much the five-hour drive there that worries me, but the return trip, as I don’t know what condition I’ll be in or how to handle potential complications.
That said, I feel I’m in good hands with Dr. Bettocchi. Based on my research, he leads the Andrology Unit in Foggia, is a Visiting Professor in Saudi Arabia, and collaborates with top centers in Europe and Switzerland. He has published over 200 scientific papers, served as president of the ESSM, and is a member of EAU commissions for uro-andrological guidelines. He is an internationally recognized opinion leader in the field. Additionally, he has previously worked alongside Gabriele Antonini and has been implanting prostheses for many years.
Some people have warned me about doctors who recommend shockwave therapy, suggesting that it’s often pushed simply to make more money. Initially, I also thought this was the case, but my friend (the one I mentioned earlier—over 50 years old, diabetic, and living with a penile prosthesis for two years) was advised against shockwave therapy by Dr. Bettocchi himself. Instead, he was directly recommended a prosthesis. My friend still wanted to give shockwave therapy a try, as he was scared of getting a prosthesis, but it didn’t work. So, I believe that in my case—being younger—Dr. Bettocchi genuinely hoped the treatment would help me, but unfortunately, it didn’t.
A heartfelt thank you to user Kodixx for providing a helpful link and helping me better understand the differences between types of incisions and prostheses.
As for the type of incision, I don’t have a strong preference. I want the surgeon to be comfortable and to do their best. If that means opting for a penoscrotal incision, even if it results in more swelling, bruising, and a longer recovery time, so be it—as long as there are no complications and everything goes as it should.
Regarding the type of prosthesis, I think I would prefer an AMS 700 LGX, but I don’t know which models Dr. Bettocchi implants or if there is a way to choose, as the surgery is covered by the national healthcare system. In this case, how does it work?
I also have one more question:
Do you think it is possible (and advisable) to undergo both circumcision and penile prosthesis surgery on the same day? If not, is there a preferred order in which to do these two procedures? I initially thought of having the circumcision first and then the prosthesis, but I’d love to hear your opinions before asking my doctor at my next visit.
Once again, thank you all for your invaluable support.
