Penile prosthesis

A penile prosthesis is an implanted device intended for the treatment of erectile dysfunction, Peyronie’s disease, ischemic priapism, deformity and traumatic injury of the penis, and for phalloplasty (reconstruction of a penis) in men or phalloplasty and metoidioplasty in female-to-male gender reassignment surgery.

There are two main types of penile implants, semirigid and inflatable. Each type of penile implant works differently and has various pros and cons.

The placement of penile implants requires surgery. Before choosing penile implants, make sure you understand what the surgery involves, including possible risks, complications and follow-up care.

For most men, erectile dysfunction can be successfully treated with medications or use of a penis pump (vacuum constriction device). You might consider penile implants if you are not a candidate for other treatments or you cannot get an erection sufficient for sexual activity by using other methods.

Penile implants can also be used to treat severe cases of a condition that causes scarring inside the penis, leading to curved, painful erections (Peyronie’s disease).

The prosthesis or implant consist of a synthetic mechanical device which is inserted into the spongy tissue of the penis. It may be a 2-piece or a 3-piece penile prosthesis. The 3-piece device has three parts – the inflatable rods, the balloon reservoir and the pump. Surgery involves making a small cut at the junction between the penis and scrotum and inserting the three-piece device into the penis. When needed, the pump is activated and fluid flows from the reservoir into the inflatable rods, resulting in turgidity and rigidity of the penis. When not in use, the pump is squeezed differently and fluid flows back to the balloon reservoir and the penis becomes soft again.