"Maintenance" Cycling

[john74]

When I left the Cadogan clinic last October after my final visit, the doctor told me to pump up the implant every day for a month, and then to pump it up twice a week thereafter whether I was intending to use it or not, presumably for ever more. This I have been doing. I assumed, maybe incorrectly that this was needed in order to keep the various passages and tubes open, and to prevent the formation of too much scar tissue.

However on this forum I have seen conflicting opinions about this. One extreme as quoted in the FAQ section of Dr Eid's website says "Is there some sort of a preventive maintenance program to care for the prostheses? " Answer "None Needed" in other words regular cycling is not required, and yet other people on this site seem to be cycling every day even a year or more after the operation.

So which is correct? I am not interested in increasing length or girth, its fine just as it is, its working nicely at the moment and I just wanted to keep it doing so.

So I was just wondered what advice about this, if any, the various doctors performing this operation had been giving their patients. Many thanks.

[dg_moore]

I got my implant in 2008 (Dr Andrew Kramer) but due to health reasons I have never used it. I asked Dr. Kramer about cycling and he said just to inflate it "every now and then" to keep the tissues stretched and healthy. I cycle mine when it happens to occur to me, perhaps once a month or so - this has apparently been satisfactory since I haven't noticed any kind of problems.

[merrix]

You're right John. There sure is conflicting information on this issue.
I'vre read a published article where the researchers followed about 100 men implanted with the Titan. They were all inflating twice per day for a total of 1-2 hours per day every day the first two years.
The article reports significant length and girth increases, even from 12 to 24 months.

My doctor, Dr. Eid, told me that he recommended inflating twice per day for 10-20 minutes each time till I started having sex. After that point, if having sex regularly twice per week, Eid said there was no need or added benefit of additional inflating.
I mentioned the research paper for him, but he still maintained there is no way to get any extra size increase by further inflation.

Conflicting information for sure.
I am for sure no doctor, so my opinion is probably useless, but my logic tells me that the results reported in the article, linked in one of my posts, sounds unlikely. They reported something like 2 cm length increase from month 6 to 24.
My logic tells me that once the initial pump pain (from stretching) is gone, and we can pump to the max without any pain or stretch - where is the 2 cm going to come from?

But again, what do I know. Anyway, I am pretty sure all docs agree that in terms of maintaining implant function, there is absolutely no need for daily pumping.
That is only for the potential and debated possibility of size increase.

[john74]

Thank you both for your replies.

Merrix, thank you also for your journal. Along with many others I've been reading it daily since you started it last December. Just how you managed to write such interesting and informative prose every day, bearing in mind the condition you were in, is quite beyond me, I certainly couldn't have done it. I'm about six weeks ahead of you, and although my recovery was not as traumatic as yours, I certainly knew what you were experiencing and I felt for you all the way.

I also followed your link to the two year experiment with people fitted with the Titan implant. Like you I find it hard to believe the claimed results. The Titan cylinders are a fixed length and no amount of pumping will make them any longer, so where is the extra length supposed to have come from. Also the implant is a mechanical device and if you abuse it it will break. I wonder how many of the patients taking part in that test busted their implants as a result.

Regarding my original question, its interesting that Dr Eid told you that if you use the implant twice a week then no additional pumping is required, which is exactly the same as the pump it up twice a week whether you use it or not that my doctor told me. I'll stick with that for the time being.

As to the implant itself, its certainly changed my life. My wife and I are now enjoying pleasant and relaxed sex every week or so, compared to frantic efforts and overdosing on Blue pills that we had before. Its a game changer for me, and I hope it works out that way for you. All the best. Kind regards, John.