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Using your penile implant

Procedure and Recovery

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Penile Implant Procedure and Recovery

Learn more about erectile dysfunction, how the penile implant procedure works, what’s involved with the recovery process and the potential risks involved with having an implant.


What is Erectile Dysfunction (ED)?

Erectile dysfunction, or ED, is a common condition that affects more than half of men over the age 40 to some degree.1 ED happens when blood flow to the penis is limited or nerves are damaged, which results in the inability to achieve or maintain an erection that is firm enough to have sexual intercourse.2


About the Penile Implant Procedure

The penile implant procedure is usually done on an outpatient basis under anesthesia. Your surgeon will make a small incision in the scrotum or above the pubic bone and insert all components through this opening.


Recovering from the Procedure

Patients may experience pain and soreness at the surgical site during the healing process. It generally takes a few days to return to one’s regular routine of light activity. Doctors typically recommend that patients wait four to six weeks after the procedure before having intercourse.


Penile Implant Risks

As with any medical procedure, complications can occur. You can find an overview of the risks of a Boston Scientific penile implant below, but individuals are recommended to talk to their doctor about the risks and benefits associated with each device.

Side effects include, but are not limited to:3

  • Natural or spontaneous erections as well as other interventional treatment options will no longer be possible
  • Infection, in which case the implant may have to be removed
  • Pain, which is typically associated with the healing process
  • Mechanical failure of the implant

Talk to Your Doctor

Every patient’s situation is unique. So, it’s important for men to talk to their doctor about the risks involved and ways to safely resume normal activities after a penile implant procedure.


Resources and Support

SOURCES

1. Feldman HA, Goldstein I, Hatzichristou DG, et al. Impotence and its medical and psychosocial results of the Massachusetts Male Aging Study. J Urol. 1994 Jan;151(1):54-61.

2. Erectile dysfunction. NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/erectiledysfunction.html. Accessed May 2015.

3. Data on file with Boston Scientific.