Uro Warns Me about Getting Implants.. I'm Confused

[geedeez]

Ok guys I'm seeing this new uro who does a fair amount of implants. I saw him last month and asked him about an implant for myself since everything I've tried so far isn't working. He said if I get an infection he'll need to take out the implant. Then he said that if he puts in another one and if that gets infected also he'll have to remove it. Then he dropped a bombshell and said after that he can't implant another one.

I'm very confused here. I was hoping he'd at the most advise of possible issues that might come up with the surgery. But by the sound of it, it felt like he was warning me NOT to get an implant. Needless to say, this killed my spirit in looking forward to getting an implant altogether along with the hopes of getting one from this uro.

Just to let you guys know, this is the only good uro who will accept my insurance. Could you guys please advise me on whether I should get an implant or not or what do you think?

.

[defiant]

I think that was really irresponsible and far too alarmist of this urologist for what is widely regarded as a fantastic intervention and cure for ED.

Furthermore to bang on about it like that, whilst it might be true is unnecessary as the procedure itself carries with it one of the lowest risks of infection of any prosthetic implantation.

Find another surgeon, someone who is confident in their skills, specialises in implants and isn’t afraid he’ll infect you, like this one seems to be.

[RelievedofED1]

Sorry you are going through the struggle and the pushback that does seem out of proportion to the risk. All surgeries come with some risk that things could be worse after. That said if you at some point can’t get a satisfactory erection and you’ve exhausted or hate the other therapies it’s good you know about and should consider an implant. I had the same thing happen to me after trying everything including injections. Because of the unreasonable pushback it felt like I would be forcing him to do surgery so I went to Dr Kramer. For me it was a great decision. Find out the options and seriously try all the others first because they are reversible. If no luck see a high volume high success implant surgeon. Good luck.

[tomas1]

I agree you have to somehow find a different urologist.

I can tell you about my case. The only person whom I know had implant surgery from my doctor almost died from an infection.

It made me think long and hard before going through it with him.
At least he seems to have done a terrific job on me and no hint of infection, even in the same hospital.
I didn't bother to try to contact any other patients of his.

[Quincy]

I've had diabetes for 35 years and diabetes adds a significant additional risk of infection. My research indicated that the risk essentially doubled. So I was very concerned about infection prior to my surgery last June. I spent months doing research, consulted 3 different urologists, and talked about it with my primary doctor.

I heard, as you did, that if there was an infection the implant would be removed and I would have no erectile function until is was replaced, probably 6 months later. I wasn't told that after 2 attempts they would stop trying, but I did know that if I didn't eventually have success with the implant I would never be able to get hard again, ever.

I was concerned enough that I made lowering the chance of infection a major goal in selecting the surgeon. The doctor I chose has a very long history of success, having done many thousands of implants with just one case of infection. Your doctor should be able to tell you his infection rate. My chosen surgeon also does "minimally invasive" infra-pubic surgery, which he said, and I believe, reduces the chance of infection. Infrapubic surgery is done through an incision on the abdomen, an inch or so above the base of the penis. This is smooth skin that is easy to clean and keep clean, according to my doctor, as opposed to scrotal skin which is rough and wrinkled. He believes that choosing to do infrapubic surgery instead of peno-scrotal is one of the reasons his infection record is so good. Other things he said that have helped establish his outstanding record are meticulous detail in a well-established process, an experienced staff that knows exactly what to do (the surgeon is not the only person in the OR), and good pre- and post-surgery directions for the patient.

The preparation for surgery had me make sure I had no infections already and used hibiclens for showering for several days. Post surgery, my incision was sealed with surgical glue so no bacteria could enter and I was careful about keeping clean while avoiding public hot tubs or other sources of possible infection.

My surgery was a success, with no infection. The result is outstanding. I am one of the many here who wishes I'd done this many years ago.

I know you are limited by your insurance in your choice of doctors. I was limited by my geography, giving me a fairly small pool of local doctors with implant experience. I decided to travel to the doctor I wanted, ending up 700 miles away from home. Perhaps you can look outside your area and find someone that does the kind of surgery you want but will still take your insurance. If you are as concerned as I was, find a surgeon with a great record regarding infection. For me, the result was definitely worth the effort.

We all wish you the best.
Quincy

[Lester33]

I too had a uro who at first approved then changed his statement on my getting an implant to not risking the surgery. After research and talking to patients we decided to proceed, changed doctors and have had excellent results without any complications. 100% happy with my new dick.

[Lost Sheep]

Ok guys I'm seeing this new uro who does a fair amount of implants. I saw him last month and asked him about an implant for myself since everything I've tried so far isn't working. He said if I get an infection he'll need to take out the implant. Then he said that if he puts in another one and if that gets infected also he'll have to remove it. Then he dropped a bombshell and said after that he can't implant another one.

I'm very confused here. I was hoping he'd at the most advise of possible issues that might come up with the surgery. But by the sound of it, it felt like he was warning me NOT to get an implant. Needless to say, this killed my spirit in looking forward to getting an implant altogether along with the hopes of getting one from this uro.

Just to let you guys know, this is the only good uro who will accept my insurance. Could you guys please advise me on whether I should get an implant or not or what do you think?

.

Does he do that with ALL new patients? Perhaps it is his style, to discourage those who (he thinks) are not serious or not yet exhausted all less invasive treatments.

I will think about this some more, but in the meantime, suggest you educate yourself on other avenues of treatment. Surgery is irreversible and if you are a candidate for less invasive treatments a better solution for E.D. may present itself before you actually NEED an implant.

I recall one doctor who (decades later) still agonizes over implanting a man mere weeks before Viagra (which would have been a MUCH better solution for the patient) was available.

If I mis-read your history, please forgive my oversight.

[robertm]

Sounds like warnings from a physician who has had the very problems he is describing i.e. infections. It's almost a CYA comment by him.

[dirtman1993]

Find a different doctor, Eid in New York, Kramer in Baltimore and I know one in Houston also very good from reading about him here. Search search and read all you can. Get away from the doctor you have.

[DougAnd]

It just seems very odd to me that a doctor would make a statement like that out of the blue based on nothing. As has been said already maybe that's what his experience has been. Maybe he has high infection rates. That's something that you can check on. The only other logical reason would be if he saw something in you that would create a much higher infection risk. Did he tell you specifically why he thought you might get infected twice? That would be an astronomically small odds on the greater scale. Unless the game is skewed. I would really like to know if this guy told you why he thought you might get infected twice. I think that would be important information for the group. Good luck. All the best.