How Do Penile Implants Work?

More than half of men in the United States have some experience with erectile dysfunction (ED) and many seek treatment for the issue. For some, the medications, lifestyle changes, and other treatment avenues aren’t enough, leaving penile implants as the most viable option for restoring sexual function.

If your ED is stubborn and won’t respond to treatments, the team at Gulf Coast Urology can help. Led by Dr. Travis Green, our men’s health expert has extensive experience helping our pateints to reclaim their sex lives when they have medically refractory ED with penile implants.

If you’re curious about how penile implants work, read on as you might be surprised.

The two types of penile implants

When you have ED, you have difficulty achieving and maintaining an erection long enough for intercourse, which is where the penile implant excels.

There are two types of penile implants that we offer here that can help with your erection goals, including:

Malleable penile implant

As the name implies, a malleable implant is one that’s made up of two flexible rods that we place in your penis. These rods put your penis into a semi-rigid state and you can bend your penis to your needs — straight for an erection or down (or to the side) for other times.

Inflatable implant

With an inflatable implant, you can inflate your penis for an erection and then deflate it afterward. The inflatable implant is a three-piece unit — two cylinders, a fluid-filled reservoir, and a pump.

We place the cylinders in your penis, the reservoir in your abdomen, and the pump in your scrotum. When you want an erection, you squeeze the pump in your scrotum and the fluid in the reservoir fills the cylinders in your penis. When you’re finished, you simply squeeze the pump again and the fluid drains out of the cylinders and back into the reservoir.

What you should know about penile implants

Now that you understand your options in penile implants, let’s take a look at some concerns we’ve heard over the years.

First, a penile implant doesn’t in any way affect your ability to ejaculate and it doesn’t change the sensitivity of your penis.

Second, we use minimally invasive techniques to place the implants, which means there will be no obvious scarring.

Third, while a penile implant can mimic an erection, you won’t have the same engorged head on your penis.

When it comes to patient satisfaction, 80%-90% of men who receive an inflatable implant are satisfied with their decision. There may be some comfort issues with the malleable implant since your penis remains in a permanent, semi-rigid state, which is why many men opt for the inflatable version.

If you’d like to explore penile implants further and how they can help restore your sex life, we invite you to contact one of our offices in Houston or Clear lake, Texas, to schedule a consultation.