Penile implants to treat erectile dysfunction replace the spongy tissue inside the penis that fills with blood during an erection with inflatable penile implants. The cylinders in an inflatable implant are hollow. You get an erection by pumping them full of saltwater, or saline, stored in a reservoir in your lower abdomen. A release valve on the pump, which is in the scrotum, drains the saline out of the cylinders and back into the reservoir. The inflatable implants are totally concealed and most closely resemble the feeling of a natural erection.
Surgery will be preformed under general anesthesia. The implants are inserted through an incision made in the penis, lower abdomen, or scrotum. A thin, flexible tube is inserted briefly up the urethra and into the bladder to drain urine.
A two or three-chamber implant will be used as determined by the decision between you and your physician. The implant is totally concealed with in the body and has a cylinder in the penis, a reservoir in the abdomen, and valve in the scrotum.
Generally, you stay 1 or 2 days in the hospital. You will take antibiotics for up to 2 weeks after surgery to prevent infection.
Men with inflatable implants may need to avoid tight clothing for 6 weeks to avoid pushing the saline reservoir out of position. You can generally return to strenuous physical activity and sex after about a month. It takes about four to six weeks to regain sexual function.
For an erection, the concealed pump in the scrotum is gently squeezed several times. This moves the saline solution from the reservoir into the cylinders. As the cylinders fill, the penis becomes erect and firm.
To end the erection, press a "deflation site" on the pump. Deflating the cylinders transfers the fluid back to the reservoir and the penis becomes flaccid.
