Penile implant surgery has an impressive success rate but it comes with some risks. Here are the most serious post-op complications of the surgery.
Penile implant surgery is an effective treatment option for erectile dysfunction and involves placing inflatable rods in the penis to help men achieve and sustain erections. The implants are usually recommended for men who have tried other medications unsuccessfully and those with Peyronie’s disease.1
As is with any other surgery, a penile implant surgery also comes with some risks – especially when done wrong.
Most Serious Postoperative Complications
Implant malfunction
Penile implants can last from anywhere between 8 to 20 years and malfunctions are very rare. Since the implant is technically a device, it is prone to wearing out, and the more it is used, the sooner it will need replacement. However, there are instances where malfunctions occur within the first 5 years of the surgery.
Malfunctions are treated by replacing the faulty implant with a new one.
Infections
The infection rate of penile implant surgery is very low and ranges between 0.5% and 3%.2 These infections occur at the surgical site and can either be mild or severe. For mild penile implant infections. Your doctor will prescribe antibiotics.
Serious infections are characterized by high fever, extreme swelling and bruising and pass oozing from the surgical site. To treat severe infections, the infected implant is usually removed and replaced with a non-infected one.
Erosion
This is also referred to as adhesion and is a post-op complication in which parts of the implants stick to the inside of the skin of your penis and begin wearing it off. In rare cases, the parts of the implants may break through the skin.
Erosion is often caused by an infection but there are times when it happens in the urethra especially if the urethra was perforated during the surgery.
Chronic pain
After the surgery, you may experience mild pain and swelling which normally resolves in a week or two. There are rare instances where the pain doesn’t go away and can last for up to 3 months. In surgical procedures where an oversized implant is used for the purpose of making the penis bigger, the pain may last for longer.
More Possible Penile Implant Problems
Other post-op complications of penile implant surgery include:
- Penile implant parts falling out of the penis into the scrotum.
- Injury to internal organs like the bladder, major blood vessels, colon, etc.
- Post-op bleeding and formation of blood clots in the scrotum.
- Scar tissue formation.
- Displacement of the reservoir or the pump
Most of the post-op penile implants problems are caused by improper placement of the implants which is why it’s vital that the surgery is done by a qualified doctor. If you experience any of the above complications, you should seek medical attention immediately.
Links to sources used
- Penile prosthesis in the surgical treatment of Peyronie’s disease- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3464994/
- Penile Prosthesis Infection: Myths and Realities- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6704299/