Penile Implant Surgical Techniques
Our penile implant surgeons perform what is called peno-scrotal and infra-pubic surgical techniques with a no-touch approach to the penile implant surgery. “No touch” refers to the way the implant procedure is performed to minimize the occurrence of infection. The surgeon inserts the penile implant without touching the skin to reduce the incidence of post-surgical infection. This can be done by changing the surgical gloves and avoiding skin contact with the penile prosthetic device.
It’s important to recognize that there are no one-size-fits-all solutions for this procedure, as every man is unique. Your surgeon will determine the optimal method for you based on your anatomy, surgical history, and individual needs.
Surgical techniques include:
- Peno-scrotal approach: Your surgeon makes an incision underneath the penis to place the three-pieces of the prosthesis. The Placement of the pump in this technique is typically more direct.
- Infra-pubic approach: This involves a small incision in the pelvic area directly above the penis. Because there is no scrotal incision in this method, pump manipulation of the implant may begin sooner than with a scrotal approach and the surgery usually takes less time than a peno-scrotal approach.
What is a “Minimally Invasive” Penile Implant?
This term is used by some penile implant surgeons to denote a specific type of procedure. In our practice, we minimize tissue handling, avoid any bleeding, avoid dilation of the penis, and work gently but accurately to get the job done and avoid the long painful recoveries that patients experienced in the many years before my training and still now.
True “minimally invasive” penile implant surgery is a trademarked term by a specific practice that employs an infrapubic procedure. This includes modifications such as a nasal speculum to place an ectopic reservoir and pump, an overnight drain, a fairly short operative time, and economy of motion during the procedure. Many surgeons today have emulated some or all of the original steps that were described.
As with many marketing tools, this term is just that – a marketing tool. The infrapubic approach with ectopic reservoir from a skilled surgeon is perfectly reasonable, and in many cases may be absolutely terrific. But many surgeons are working just as quickly and have comparable patient recoveries, short surgical times, and pure economy of motion during surgery.
Penile Implant Revision
Our experienced penile implant surgeons are experienced and knowledgeable about penile implants failure and how to surgically correct it.
Implants may fail because:
- Tips of the implant are too short or uneven
- The pump is out of position or has malfunctioned and/or cylinders are improperly placed
- Exit tubing causes pain at the top of the penis
- The reservoir is painful or is out of place
- There is a leak in the penile implant system
- A Semirigid prosthesis needs to be replaced with a three-piece inflatable implant
When a previous penile implant fails or a patient experiences any pain, discomfort, or malfunction of the prosthesis, the team can perform a comprehensive exam to get to the bottom of the problem and fix it.