More Info. Y'All

[tukusmax]

For those of you who haven’t read any of my few post, a quick recap. I first came here looking for info. re: veteran’s coverage and any help, from those of you, who got an implant through the VA.

I saw my VA PC Dr. about 3 weeks ago and we talked about my qualifying for an implant. He referred me to a Urology Surgeon.

I saw the surgeon yesterday. Walked into his office and he looked at his computer (no paper charts any more) and said that I can’t take pills because I carry Nitroglycerin (they don’t play well together) and that I had side effects in the past. He feels that the pumps are a waste of money. Because I also take Plavix I can’t use the injections, it’s a blood thinner and you don’t stick needles into an item that is engorged with thin blood. He hasn’t had a lot of success with Muse and wouldn’t prescribe it unless I really wanted to try it (my reply, NO). He told me that that only leaves one option, a prosthetic implant. He doesn’t do them and that he was sending me to Little Rock VA where they “throw them in all the time”. So after driving 75 miles and 5 min. in his office I’ve been approved for the implant!

So I’m now waiting for my appointment letter for the date to meet and consult with the Dr. that will do the surgery. Little Rock is about 230 miles away, I’m sure glad that I get travel pay! I guess they do hundreds of implants at LRVA.

I’ll post again when I know more.

Ron

[antelope]

Well done! Keep us posted as the journey progresses. We're all cheering from the sidelines.

[barfinkl1]

Glad to know the VA will get you the surgery. Your doc seemed to be very sympathetic and that helps. Hope everything goes well for you and you get a top surgeon. I'm sure that makes a big difference in the outcome. I'm 60% service connected disabled from agent orange. I had prostate cancer and have type II diabetes and so I may go the implant route myself sooner than later. My insurance will cover it, fortunately. I know my urologist supports me getting it, so it's just up to me now.

Stay well and good luck.

[regain-is-the-aim]

Tuk:

Good news. As another Vet, I am pleased the VA is helping and including a scenic drive along the way. From what you have read here you can have a good idea of what to discuss. Best wishes and keep us posted. It sounds as though the VA Center has good and deep experience with this surgery and that is what you want- an experienced surgeon.

Please keep us posted as to your progress.

Congrats!

Regards,

Dick

[LGX_Man]

Congratulations! This is one great story to hear. It might help others here to find a way to the implant that they may have given up on without your posting. The VA can be tough. Best of luck as you make your way through the process. I'm at my four month IPP anniversary TODAY. I'm completely healed and, as others say around here, wish that I had done it years ago. It's THAT GOOD.

Best, LGX_Man

[tukusmax]

“So I’m now waiting for my appointment letter for the date to meet and consult with the Dr. that will do the surgery. Little Rock is about 230 miles away.” (quoting myself)

NOT SO FAST PARTNERS!
Even though things have gone smoothly so far, one must remember that the VA is still part of the government. My appointment in Little Rock is now set for June 6th. I understand that I WON’T be seeing the surgeon but a RN that holds “specialty clinics” to discuss the different treatments for sexual dysfunction. I guess in my case he will determine if I’m a candidate for an implant or not (after 3 Dr’s, a RN will have to approve it), explain the different devises the VA implants, how they work, how to prepare for the surgery, what to expect after surgery, you know all the stuff I expected to talk to a Dr. about.

But this is one of the required steps you have to go through to get-r-dun.
I’ll add more when I know more.

Ron

[tukusmax]

Well I know more now. We went my appointment on Monday (6-6-11) in Little Rock. The RN, that does the “clinics", we concluded afterwards, his main job is to try to scare guys out of having the implants done (due to cost?). We went into his office and as I sat down he tossed one of the devices on the desk in front of me and said, "This is what you'll be getting". I asked what brand and model it was and he had to look at the can it came in and said it was an “AMS GX, the only kind we do”. It was kind'a cool to see and feel how it worked.

Next he says, "I don't care what you've read or what some friend has told you but I'm going to tell you what I see here at the hosp." He then starts spouting statistics like 20%-30% get infections and need to have them removed (I'm thinking to myself that if their infection rate is that high the hosp. should be shut down. Any procedure with that high of a risk is unacceptable). He goes on to say 80% of the implants fail within the first 5 years (what manufacture could stay in business with that kind of failure rate?). The next statement he threw at us was that 40%-60% have severe erosion problems, "trust me, you don't want to see how many guys come into the emergency room with one of the tubes sticking out of the head of their penis!" I think if you add them all up that’s about 140% to 190% failure rate.

He then took us to meet the Dept. Head Dr. The Dr. suggested that, because I haven't needed to take Nitro in so long, I might want to try Lavetra or I might want to try injections. He said they have hundreds of men that are on Plavix that use the injections. I told him I wasn't real comfortable with that, as it was the VA Urology Surgeon, that referred me to them, who told me about the Plavix and injections in the first place. We agreed that I would talk to my Cardio. Dr. and see what he said and if I still wanted the implant to just call and they would set up the schedule for surgery.

I talked to the Cardio Dr. on Wed. and he said no to the injections and said hell no to the pills. He said that I could go off the Plavix, temporarily, prior to and a week or so after the surgery. I contacted Little Rock yesterday and told them I wanted to go ahead with the implant. They said that the only thing they needed to start scheduling was a letter from my Cardio. Dr. stating that it was ok for me to temporarily stop the Plavix for the surgery. I checked this afternoon and the letter is sitting on the Cardio's desk and it will be signed and faxed to the VA on Monday.

So......Whoopee and Yahoo!!! They say it takes about 3 weeks to get a date for pre-op and surgery. I’ll let you know how that goes.

PS: For any other Vets, if you have to go to an appointment that's some distance from home, the VA is required to provide lodging (in this case La Quinta hotel and transportation to and from the Hosp.) I whish I would have known about this before last week, I ended up, unknowingly, in the same hotel they contract with and the cheapest room was $95.00, it was a nice 3-star.

We're on a roll now!!!

[ptowncp84]

I would definately stay away from this hospital, if those statistics were true for all hospitals the FDA would remove implants from the market, and you would be hearing commercials over the television, like were hearing now about hip implants. The national average for the newest implants on the markets are there still working like 86 to 88% at to years. I have talked to a guy who has had his going on 18 years. I think the national average for infection for first time implants is 1 to 3% so this is rare, and it is definately worth going to a surgeon who does 100 of these a year at least. If this doctor is having 40 to 60 % of erosions, he is def not doing something right and prob not that much expirence. I would definately look somewere else.

[ptowncp84]

Sorry made a typo, I meant to say 86 to 88% are working at TEN years.

[hard drive]

I didn't have to jump through any hoops like that at all. I just told my primary doc, he got the uro doc appointment, I told the uro doc I wanted it because all else has failed, and bang surgery next month.

The stats you were provided are totally bogus... I'd personally see if I could get the implant done at a different VA hospital.
In Durham NC, they do hundreds every year with very good results. I went to Salisbury NC and really wish I had travelled just a little further for a better surgeon. Those guys in LR sound like they are really avoiding implants. I don't know why... They don't try to conserve money at all here in Charlotte, and spare no expense to help us vets. Please see if you have hospital options...