Too many men are left in the dark when pills fail. We offer answers to real questions about life with a penile implant – and what it truly means to end your ED.
Inflatable Penile Prosthesis (IPP) surgery is a specialized surgical procedure used to treat erectile dysfunction (ED) when other treatments, like medications or pumps, are ineffective or unsuitable.
During the procedure, a discreet, inflatable device is implanted inside the penis. This device allows a man to achieve and maintain an erection on demand, offering a natural look and feel when inflated, and complete flaccidity when deflated.
The Inflatable Penile Prosthesis (IPP) is a discreet, internal device made up of three key components:
To achieve an erection, the patient manually activates the pump, which transfers sterile fluid from the reservoir into the penile cylinders. This creates a firm, natural-feeling erection that lasts as long as desired. When finished, pressing a release valve allows the fluid to return to the reservoir, restoring the penis to a soft, flaccid state.
A typical inflatable penile prosthesis surgery is done on an outpatient basis and lasts less than one hour.
The full recovery period following surgery is typically between four and six weeks. While your surgeon will have specific post-operative care instructions and timelines for you, generally during the first week you will be asked to limit yourself to light activity and to focus on incision care and pain management. Pain is most often eased within this first week. Clearance to return to full sexual activity from your surgeon will usually occur between three and six weeks after surgery.
Clearance from your surgeon to return to sexual activity typically occurs between three and six weeks following your surgery. Cycling your implant for 10 minutes two to three times per day is often advised in the first year. Always follow the post-operative instructions from your surgeon.
If you are traveling in for care, you should expect to stay between 5 and 7 days in the city of your surgeon.
The most common complications from inflatable penile prosthesis are infection and device malfunction. Infection rates are between 1% and 2% when working with an expert, high-volume surgeon. Low-volume, non-specialized men’s sexual health surgeons have infection rates 2x – 2.5X higher than high volume implanters.
Although device malfunction does happen, long-term survival rates are high. Studies show that between 75% and 85% of implants still function at 10 years. When mechanical failure occurs, revision surgery is performed to replace the broken component or entire device.
Finally, it’s important to know that after IPP surgery latent natural erections and other treatment options are no longer possible. With satisfaction rates for patients and partners over 90%, few men want to go back to life before their prosthesis.
Following full recovery from the surgery, you can return to all normal routines and everyday activities. During the recovery period, follow the guidance of your surgeon.
Modern inflatable penile prostheses (IPPs) do not generally interfere with medical imaging devices and security scanners since both major manufacturers have designed these implants with minimal metal. They are MRI-compatible (conditional), meaning MRI scans can be done safely with the implant in place as long as the MRI technologist is informed about the implant so proper protocols are followed. IPPs do not hinder CT scans or X-rays aside from showing up.
At airports and security checkpoints IPPs are very unlikely to set off metal detectors. Security officers are trained to expect that medical hardware (hip replacements, surgical pins, etc.) can cause alerts, but are not a threat. And, patients are provided with an implant identification card after surgery to use if necessary while traveling.
