What was your outcome using low volume IPP Surgeon?

[SWorks17]

What was your outcome using low volume IPP Surgeon?

I’d like to know if there are FrankTalk guys out there that didn’t have the the means or the out of pocket funds to get the implant done by a well know high volume IPP surgeon?

This is my 16 month update and my story.

I didn’t go through, what a majority of my FrankTalk brothers have went through on their journey to have a penis that works correctly for sex.

I started having issues with good erections in my mid 40’s after I retired from the Air Force. I was embarrassed but I talked to my primary care doctor about my problems having a good erection and he gave me a prescription for Viagra; had I know how much the little blue diamonds cost each, I probably would have chocked, being with the military medical system and its privileges for active and retired verterans the medication is no cost through the TriCare military health system (we do pay a annual premium but it is a steal compared to what most civilians pay on a monthly basis on the outside for medical insurance).

So, over the years I continued to get the prescription filled usually every 60 to 90 days. During the early years of ED, sometimes I wouldn’t need to take the little blue diamonds all the time to have sex, sometimes my penis worked pretty well and then other times I really needed the little blue diamonds. The Air Force switched to Cialis (the little orange pill) in the mid 2000’s because it was cheaper, but it worked just as well. Then when the patent ran out on both meds they Air Force started using generic viagra pills, I’m not sure if the generic medication was the same high quality as the original medication because I had started loosing the ability to have erections with the medication.

Then around 2018 the pills were working less and less. I could still get an erection but it was a pain having to watch what you ate before taking a pill, if you wanted to have sex. That was the end of the spontaneous intimacy (honey I’m in the mood for sex, do you wanna?) Now we had to put it on the schedule, so that we could get excited about being intimate on a certain day and time, and I would know not to eat anything that would interfere with the medication. Also, my erections would start to get soft at the end of our intimate time, especially if there was something that was distracting, like the TV or if someone called on the phone, it was almost impossible to get an erection back to finish helping her orgasm/cum, after I had cum, so I would reach down and grab the base of my penis, with what little erection was left and rub her clit and the entrance of her vagina until she came, which wasn’t awful because she liked the extra dimension of stimulation with my hand and my semi erect penis stimulating her. I still use that method to get her off even though I don’t have to now.

In late 2020 I starting having problems with urgent urination, I just couldn’t make it to the bathroom most of the time or I had to go frequently all day long. I went to see a Urologist at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas and while I was filling out the questionnaire about the urination problems, it asked a lot of questions about sexual problems and I answered them honestly, that I was having sexual problems and that medication was no longer working or barely working. I found out I had a benign enlarged prostrate and they proposed using the Rezum procedure to shrink the enlarged prostrate by injecting steam into the prostrate in several areas. Because of COVID I had to wait several months to have the Rezum procedure done, we scheduled it for 19 May 2021.

While I was there for that appointment, they brought in a DVD player with a DVD about a permanent cure for ED from Boston Scientific, because of my questions on the urology questionnaire and asked if I might be interested in a permanent cure. I didn’t know what to think, they said watch the video and see if this is something you would like to move forward with for a cure. I watched the video about the Boston Scientific AMS 700 Inflatable Penile Prosthesis and all the testimonials that went along with it. After watching the video they asked me if I was interested to have the implant. I was definitely interested about solving my ED problems, but an implant??? I asked if I could talk to my wife about it, which was uncomfortable and I let her see the video at home. After letting my wife watch the video and how the implant worked and how it could make our sex life better, she was on board, so I emailed Major Barney and told him yes, I would like to move forward.

Army Major Dr Shane Barney wanted me to do the Rezum prostrate procedure first and I would have to heal before I could get the implant. So, May 19, 2021 I had the Rezum procedure done and it helped a lot with my urination problems, but unfortunately it made my ED worse, I’m not sure if the steam had hit the nerve bundle that goes through the prostrate area. I couldn’t get an erection for anything and pills didn’t work at all. I didn’t ask about injections, maybe I should have while I was waiting for the implant. I got a VED with compression rings but that didn’t work. I could get a nice erection, but as soon as the ring was put in place my penis would get cold and turn purple and it wasn’t hard enough to have penetrative sex, It was awful. I just don’t know how some of you guys survived years of not being able to have an erection or penetrative sex.

Because of COVID again, they were limited on doing elective surgeries, so I had to wait 5 months before getting a surgery date of Nov 5th 2021. I didn’t ask for a referral to go off the military base to someone that might have had more experience doing lots of implants. I felt comfortable with Major Barney and his staff; he gave me his personal military email and I asked him tons of questions as I watched all those YouTube videos of how the implants are installed. I contacted Boston Scientific Patient Coordinator also, and gave her all my information so they could make a file on me and keep up with my journey. She gave me several patient champions that I could talk to and ask questions who had the implant, usually men that were the same age as me. All I could do now was to use the VED every day to exercise my penis until surgery day.

Well, here I am 16 months out from surgery, Army Major Dr Barney and his team did an outstanding job. Yes, I had swelling and pain and more pain when I started cycling the implant when it’s poking behind your glans and you think it’s going to burst through the top of your penis because it hurts so bad when you have it fully inflated. But I kept on following his directions for cycling and then applied advanced cycling techniques from FrankTalk folks like Dr Perito’s techniques. I’m thankful that I haven’t had any problems, knock on wood! (Yes, pun intended lol) I’ve read here on FrankTalk where a small amount of guys (very small) have had several revisions done in the first year or two, or the pump is making noise and a bunch of other issues and thankfully I haven’t had those issues.

Yes, I used a low volume Military Urology Surgeon who dotted all his i’s and crossed all his T’s while he was implanting my new Bionic Penis with Laser guided military precision.

My new Penis works like a champ and it’s given me my self worth again as a man, that I can please my wife and I can have that wonderful feeling of being one again with a woman. It’s a great feeling!

[Bigdave]

Awesome story.
I'm glad to hear that you had good results, and you're again able to enjoy a healthy sex life.
Also, thank you for your service to our great country.

[sswinsfba]

I didn’t go through, what a majority of my FrankTalk brothers have went through on their journey to have a penis that works correctly for sex.

Thanks for sharing your story but AFAIK your experience (except for the military part) in going from hard to soft to hard again is very similar to most men who have also gotten an implant.

At least it's very similar to mine.

The question of the results of using a low vs high volume IPP surgeon is another matter.

I used a high volume surgeon and have had no problems whatsoever post op. However, there's another member currently active here who also used a well known high volume surgeron who has experienced (by his account) nothing but problems.

I suspect that there are many men who get implants from low volume surgeons who had a problem free experience but you don't hear much from them on FT because there just seems to be a lot of members here who have used high volume surgeons, who in turn, recommend to other men who are considering getting an IPP to ONLY use high volume IPP surgeons for avoid problems.

Of course, this makes intuitive sense but any surgeon who does IPP implants has to be a Board Certified Urologist and, while there is no IPP subspecialty, I seriously doubt that any surgeon would attempt doing any IPP implant without sufficient training/experience to do them under supervision before holding him/herself out as an IPP specialist, given the risk of being sued and losing his/her board certification and/or medical license.

So, I think that the concern about using a low vs high volume IPP surgeon is probably exaggerated and that, like you, there are probably many men who got an IPP implant done by a low volume surgeon who had a successful and entirely problem free IPP surgery.

[Gt1956]

I've read the AMS installation manual. It is surprisingly sparse on details although you'd have to be familiar with some of the nomenclature. The meaning of those words might clear up a few things for a trained person.
I think that the common advice to use a high volume surgeon is misunderstood by many members. Yes, I've seen some men that have used an unknown doctor & got great results. To me, using a well experienced doctor means that if presented with an issue during surgery. He'll have the background & experience to deal with it quickly & efficiently. A low volume doctor might not be able to make a quick accurate decision.
I use the term "quickly & efficiently" on purpose. My surgeon is very hesitant to do any extra work when he has the penis exposed. He prefers to do extra work on a seperate surgery. I feel like he wants to keep the amount of time that the penis is cut open & exposed to air to a minimum. I get the feeling that this is part of his anti infection protocol. Who knows, maybe he is superstitious. But his method makes sense to at least this patient.