Most patients with erectile dysfunction will start cycling the penile prosthesis from four to six weeks after the operation week (1). Penile implant activation is recommended when you are completely sure that you can deflate it. Ensure that the penile pump deflation footprint is recognizable manually and easily palpable to determine whether you can deflate your penile prosthesis. It would help if you soaked your body in a hot bath.

If there is any swelling and you are unsure about distinguishing all the various penile pump components, you need to wait for an additional two weeks before inflating the pump (2). You could experience pain in the penis shaft in the first two weeks of penile pump inflation. This is quite normal as the shaft of your penis is still sore. You could take codeine with two Tylenol and wait half an hour before getting in the hot tub for 15 minutes and squeezing the penile pump. 

How to Inflate Your Penile Device

You must give rapid and vigorous press to the bulb to activate the inflating mode in your penile pump. Any subsequent inflation will not necessitate that much force as the first one. You may be required to do anywhere between 10 and 60 squeezes to inflate the penile prosthesis cylinders completely (3). For a large penile cylinder, more fluid is required to obtain penile firmness, and more pump squeezes. It is impossible to over inflate the penile cylinders or damage the pump. You can squeeze it many times until it is hard.

Then, move the shaft of your penis up and down and side to side. Then, squeeze the pump a couple of times until the penis shaft is firm. All cylinder ridges and folds must completely disappear. When your penile prosthesis is completely inflated, the shaft of your penis is expected to be rock hard. It is crucial to note that (4):

  • Most patients cannot fully inflate the penile prosthesis within their first month of using the device.
  • When the penile device is inflated, the erection should stay up for approximately 15 minutes or more before deflating it completely.
  • Conduct this maneuver each day during the first two to four weeks post, knowing how the penile pump is used or up to when the penis stops being sore when inflated.

Why Should Your Penile Implant Be Fully Deflated?

There are two main reasons why you must completely deflate your penile prosthesis. The first reason is to keep the reservoir at total capacity and avoid scar tissue formation over a partially filled reservoir. In case this happens, the implant cylinders may not be completely deflated. A partially permanent erection is ever-present.

It will also result in the auto-inflation compliance of the penile implant as you get better at deflation at a later stage. The second reason is to avoid the overlying glans and flesh of the penis around the penile implant cylinders. In case atrophy happens, with time, the scar tissue covering around the prosthesis cylinders will get loose. 

Penile Implant Activation

Within the first month, you should inflate your penile prosthesis each day. The practice should go on until you are comfortable with the use of the pump.

Links to Sources Used:

  1. What to Expect at Your Implant Surgery https://healthcare.utah.edu/menshealth/treatments/penile-implants/about-procedure.php
  2. Penile Prosthesis in Patients With Erectile Dysfunction https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03466619
  3. Penile Prosthesis https://med.virginia.edu/urology/for-patients-and-visitors/penile-urethral-reconstruction-at-uva/penile-prosthesis/
  4. Penile Prostheses https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3126066/