Penile Implants For Erection Problems

Surgery Overview

Penile implants to treat erection problems (erectile dysfunction) are either noninflatable (malleable) or inflatable cylinders. They replace the spongy tissue (corpora cavernosum) inside the penis that fills with blood during an erection. The implants come in a variety of diameters and lengths.

Noninflatable implants are always firm. They can be bent into different positions (outward to have sex and back toward the body to conceal under clothing).

There are two-piece and three-piece inflatable implants. Both have two cylinders in the shaft of the penis and a pump in the scrotum.

• The two-piece implant stores the salt water (saline) at the base of the cylinders. The saline is pumped toward the head of the penis, creating an erection. Bending the implant opens a valve that releases the saline to the base of the cylinders.
• The three-piece implant has a reservoir in the belly that holds the saline. A pump moves the saline from the reservoir into the cylinders, creating an erection. Pressing the release valve on the pump moves the saline from the cylinders back to the reservoir.

Surgery will be done using regional or general anesthesia. The implants are inserted through an incision made underneath the penis or in the lower belly above the penis. A thin flexible tube (catheter) is inserted briefly up the urethra and into the bladder to drain urine.

A three-piece implant is usually more reliable than a two-piece implant. Inserting the three-piece implant is a slightly more complicated surgery.