Penile Implant – A Fix for Peyronie’s and Erectile Dysfunction?
Of the most common and debilitating male sexual function concerns that Dr. Engel treats, erectile dysfunction, and Peyronie’s disease are at the top of the list, both in incidence and in the desire for the patient to have them treated. When discussing these two conditions with patients, they are often seen as having separate and distinct treatment protocols. To some degree, this is true if they occur individually. However, Peyronie’s disease and ED often co-occur. One may cause the other, or they may both be present independently.
In this article, we will discuss when a penile implant may be appropriate to treat both conditions, giving patients a one-stop option for handling two significant concerns.
When Is a Penile Implant the Right Choice for Both Conditions?
We will consider placing a penile implant when the patient has severe erectile dysfunction, not only due to Peyronie’s disease, but they have significant penile curvature that impedes an everyday sex life or causes pain. When these conditions are met, placing the penile implant not only improves the curvature of the penis significantly but allows the patient to create an erection on demand using the implant. Both concerns are permanently addressed in this case with a single elegant solution.
When Does a Penile Implant Not Make Sense?
There are times when the penile implant should not be considered. This typically revolves around the root cause of one or both conditions.
For example, we may have a patient who has significant penile curvature, PD, and as a result of the aesthetics of the penis and pain that he might be experiencing, is no longer able to maintain an erection during sexual intercourse. This patient may be best treated with a specific Peyronie’s procedure, at which point we can evaluate the severity of ED. If the ED is relatively mild, we can start them on medications and get their erections back to normal. A penile implant would not be considered until they have severe ED that does not respond to medications or injections.
Essentially, the primary purpose of a penile implant is to overcome ED and not to treat Peyronie’s, rather than the other way around.
We meet men who, either because of prostate cancer surgery, prostatectomy, or because of age or genetics, have lost their ability to achieve or maintain an erection sufficient for enjoyable sexual intercourse. Many of these men have waited years or decades to find a solution to pursue the surgical solution – a penile implant. Some of these men have also been living with penile curvature that is either painful, aesthetically unappealing, or even debilitating. These cases are prime candidates for a refined and elegant solution in the form of a prosthesis.
Of course, the next step is to speak to a qualified men’s health and urological specialist like Dr. Engel, who can guide you on the next steps for handling these two procedures independently or together.
